The Wisdom of War
by Kelie
Summary: With baby Chris and Wyatt taking up Piper's time, her sisters feel she needs a break. But her break could lead to more trouble than they anticipated. With Leo gone on a rampage to avenge Chris' death, a cult leader uses powers of demons ((COMPLETED))...
1. Chapter 1: No Power in hate

Title: The Wisdom of War  
Rated: PG-13  
Author: Kelie  
Summary: Taking place in the up-coming season (Premieres on Sept 12th) With the new baby (Chris), and Wyatt taking up a lot of her time, Piper's sisters feel she needs a break. But her break could lead to more trouble than they anticipated. With Leo gone on a rampage to avenge Big Chris' death, the girls are vulnerable, and demons are beginning to take notice. A cult leader finds the powers of demons to entrance his victims into following him. The girls are chasing down his demonic helpers, while Piper's powers begin to increase, making the girls wonder if the power of three is still equal.  
  
"You don't think I know that?" Phoebe sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides.  
Paige nodded. "Well it doesn't seem like you do..."  
  
The middle sister flipped through the Book of Shadows. Paige was pacing. She paced a lot these days. Ever since Leo left on a war path to avenge Chris' death, Piper has been too busy with two kids to worry about demon activity. This left Paige as the only witch with powers to defend her family, and the manor. Phoebe was useless; she barely seemed to be home anymore. Work was still consuming her. Piper had a reasonable excuse, the kids came first. She understood that. Phoebe on the other hand, she couldn't understand.  
  
"It's not in there." Paige muttered.  
Phoebe sighed again. "Look Paige, I know what I am doing. I'll find something."  
"You don't get it. It's not for us to fix."  
Phoebe slammed the book of shadows shut and stood up to protest. "It has to be!"  
Paige grabbed Phoebe by the shoulders. "They took your powers for using them incorrectly. Casting a spell to get them back isn't going to help!"  
"You don't know that..."  
Paige insisted. "Yes, I do."  
"What's going on?" Piper entered the room, with baby Chris in one arm and Wyatt in his stroller.  
  
The girls stopped their quarrel at once and smiled lovingly at their older sister.  
  
"Nothing." They said together.  
Piper smirked, knowing something was wrong. "What is it?"  
Paige sighed heavily. "Just trying to find a spell for... um... diaper rash."  
Piper frowned. "Paige, you know better then to cast for personal benefit. Plus, neither of the boys have rashes..."  
Phoebe stepped in to cover. "Well, we were just thinking, just in case..."  
Piper smiled. "Thanks, but what I need is some rest, not magical antidotes to diaper rashes."  
  
Phoebe sighed. She could see her sister's tired eyes glace quickly at a photo of Leo on the bookcase. Piper wasn't just tired physically; she was simply wearing herself out emotionally. Again and again.  
  
"Exactly! You need a break!" Phoebe suggested.  
Piper nodded. "Well, it would be nice, but I can't."  
Paige interrupted eagerly. "Yes, yes you can. I'll watch the kids. I could use a break from the solo-demon destroying."  
Phoebe frowned, upset. "You're not doing it alone. I'm helping..."  
Paige laughed angrily. "You look stuff up. Thanks, but I can do that. What I need is for you to get your powers back. If you worked on that half as much as you work on your article, maybe you'd have them back already!"  
"That's not fair!" Phoebe yelled.  
Piper jumped in. "I kind of agree with Paige. You should spend more time working on getting your powers back. They're not going to come back on their own."  
  
Phoebe looked at her sisters. She waited a moment, trying to come up with something to say. There was nothing however, so she chose another route. She stomped her foot, and huffed her way out of the room and up stairs.  
  
"Well, I should have seen that coming..." Piper sighed.  
Paige picked Wyatt up out of the stroller and cuddled him. "I meant it, you know? I'd like a break too, and I know you could use one... why don't we switch places for a day or so?"  
Piper shook her head. "I can't. It's just too soon."  
"Ok, I understand..." Paige looked down, disappointed.  
Seeing her sister upset, Piper suggested. "But, maybe tomorrow... I could use a break..."  
Paige's eyes lit up at the thought. "Oh really!? Thanks!" She hugged her sister tight; kissing her on the cheek.  
"No problem..."  
  
In her room, Phoebe lit a circle of candles and began to meditate. She closed her eyes and chanted a magical incantation to see visions; to see something, anything to point on her on her path. She saw nothing. She hadn't seen anything since her powers were taken away. She was beginning to think that perhaps her magic was taken too; her spells just didn't seem to work anymore.  
  
"It's useless." She sighed, blowing out the last of the candles.  
  
As she blew out the flame, a bolt of lightening shot into the room. It threw her down, she ran into the hall to find a demon with horns coming from everywhere. As she went to attack it, Piper and Paige came running upstairs. Piper motioned to freeze it, and the next thing Phoebe knew, the demon was gone and Piper and Paige had moved from the top of the stairs to the other end of the hall.  
  
"Phoebe, are you ok?" Piper breathed.  
Phoebe nodded. "I think so. What happened?"  
Paige swallowed. "She froze you."  
"What?" Phoebe was confused. "She can't, I'm a witch."  
Paige nodded. "Everything froze, including you."  
"You didn't freeze." Phoebe snapped.  
Piper nodded. "I unfroze her."  
"And not me!?"  
Shrugging, the oldest sister tried to make it better. "I was worried about you getting hurt..."  
Phoebe marched up to her sisters. "I'm not broken. I can still fight."  
Paige. "We understand that, it's just that..."  
"I don't want to hear it, ok?" She cried angrily.  
"Fine." Piper stopped the fight before it could escalate. "We have more important issues at hand, like my powers increasing."  
  
Later, in the kitchen; the girls all looked out the window. They peaked through the curtains and then look to Piper. She was standing, with her game face on, looking ready to fight.  
  
"Ok, let's see how well you freeze. Freeze the birds in the sky." Paige suggested.  
Piper nodded. "Ok, I'll try."  
  
Piper froze the birds. The girls smiled, looking up at the birds frozen in mid-air. They failed to look down and see that everything was frozen outside, and Piper wasn't even outside, the window wasn't even open. Phoebe glanced at the road and saw a dog frozen in the middle of peeing on the sidewalk.  
  
"Oh God!" She exclaimed.  
Looking up still. "What's wrong? They look really cool." Paige said casually.  
Phoebe corrected herself. "No, no. They look fine… it's everyone else that seems a little… stiff."  
Piper looked to the street. "Oh no!" She quickly unfroze them. "Wow… I had no idea I could freeze that much!"  
Phoebe grimaced. "I've seem this before… in the future your powers were this strong. But that's still years away, they shouldn't be this strong yet."  
Piper looked around. "What's happening?"

The next morning.  
  
"Paige, remember to get the bottles all done before Chris wakes up, other wise his crying will make Wyatt upset and then your going to be in a world of trouble." Piper warned her little sister.  
"Got it. Go, have fun."  
Piper laughed and rolled her eyes. "Right. Shopping for potion ingredients, sounds like tons of fun..."  
  
Phoebe ran into the kitchen, still in her PJ's. She was rushing, as usual to get ready for work. Today was no different from most days, except today she wanted to ask for a reduction on her hours at the office. She needed to find herself again, and her powers. Which meant, work just had to slow down, or she'd never find the time to anything else.  
  
"Hey... oooh there's my boys!" She ran over and kissed her nephews good morning.  
Piper handed her a cup of coffee. "You better hurry, or you'll be late again."  
Paige handed them both their breakfasts. "Eggs, bacon, and vitamins." She smiled.  
Phoebe cocked an eye brow to her. "Oh boy... Yummy."  
  
Later.  
  
Piper waited in line with her arms full of spices, and herbs. This was fun. Well, maybe not. However, it got her away from the hectic life of house and kids.  
  
"Next." The cashier said, and Piper stepped up a little to catch the line.  
  
As she waited in line, a flash of light flooded the room. Everyone was still, but not frozen. They were scared. Piper looked around, what were they seeing? Suddenly she was knocked back, and slammed into the adjacent wall. Sliding to the ground, she coughed up a little blood. 'Nothing new there' she thought, brushing herself off and standing to see her attacker. It was that demon she'd thought she killed yesterday. But there it stood, it all its disgusting wonder. Its horns were huge, and his drool was everywhere. It looked like a mindless monster, but its eyes showed intelligence beyond that. It was not just any old monster. It was smart. It looked straight at Piper, and seemed to smile. Out of reflex, she tried to blow it up, but all it managed to do was knock the demon back a few feet.  
  
"Run!" Piper screamed at all the other customers, who were already trying to escape.  
  
At the manor.  
  
Paige was laying Chris down for a nap. She turned to find Wyatt standing over his toys. He was using his powers to fuse his toy together. He was orbing them into one another. Paige ran over to stop him.  
  
"Wyatt, no!" Paige took him away from his toys. "Stay here, be good." She scolded.  
"Da da, da da..." He baby talked.  
Paige lifted him up and set him on her knee as she took a sip of her drink. "I know, you miss your Father. But your Daddy is away... sometimes...." Paige tried to find words to explain Leo being absent. There was nothing she could say to this little toddler to make him miss his father any less. "Never mind, you'll understand when your older." She let him down and he made his way to his toys once again.  
  
At her job.  
  
Phoebe closed her office door and walked behind her desk. She sighed heavily and began to pack her things up for the day. To her surprise her boss had understood her need to cut back, after all this position was never meant to be full time anyway. Or at least it wasn't supposed to be in the beginning. One thing had led to another, and before she could object, she had found herself a career driven woman with nothing else in her life. What had happened to her?  
  
Her assistant walked in with a pile of letters. "They wanted to know if you'd take these home, since you're part time now..."  
Phoebe sighed. "Part time, means less work... not less office work and more home  
work."  
Her assistant nodded. "I had to tell you, sorry."  
"Its fine, leave them here, I'll come back for them later."  
  
At the magic shop.  
  
"Oh, crap." Piper said she motioned to blow up the demon again.  
  
This time her power kicked into full blast and not only blew the demon apart, but managed to blow the entire half of the building along with it. The force of the explosion sent Piper flying through the air, landing her on the sidewalk. She sat there dazed and amazed staring at fire, smoke, and confused people.  
  
"Oh crap... again." She muttered, as she dusted herself off, and briskly began to walk toward her car.  
  
At the manor.  
  
Phoebe walked in the house and took her coat off. She hear Paige struggling with the kids. She walked into the living room and found Paige standing with Chris crying in her arms, and Wyatt making a total mess out of his toys by using his powers to mutilate them.  
  
"Wyatt, no!" Phoebe ran over and picked him up.  
Paige sighed. "It doesn't help, he knows I can't stop him."  
Phoebe looked worried. "You don't think he's evil, do you?"  
"Yes, yes I do. As evil as all little boys his age are..." She explained.  
Phoebe nodded. "A handful?"  
"Oh diffidently."

"He's the least of our worries..." Piper said.  
  
They both turned. Piper was covered in dust, and dirt. Her clothes looked like she'd been through an explosion.  
  
"Oh my God." Phoebe rushed to her. "Are you ok?"  
Paige scrunched her nose. "Looks like you had fun after all..."  
  
Wyatt struggled to reach his mother, so Phoebe gave him over. As Piper held him, her wounds began to heal.  
  
Piper kissed her son. "Thanks sweetheart. Mommy loves ya."  
"Aww. That's so cute. He healed you!" Phoebe cooed.  
Paige sighed. "Why can't he do that when he makes a mess?"

Flash Forward - 2009  
  
Five years Into the Future. The manor is a very different place. Its high walls and beautiful architecture have given way to time. Above the magical home, dark clouds circle, ever present, ever watchful. The streets are dirty, everything seems dimmer somehow, as if good can't reach out as it used to.  
  
Inside the Charmed Ones manor, a slightly aged Piper, Phoebe and Paige sit at their kitchen table, drinking their herb teas with the book of shadow, now three times bigger. Chris comes into the kitchen with his older brother Wyatt at his side. They are older now; Wyatt looks to be about six going on seven possibly, and Chris to be around five. Piper smiled proudly at them, they were just getting home from classes at the magic school.  
  
"How was school?" She asked her sons.  
Chris shrugged, shyly. "Mr. Tanner yelled at me." He cried.  
"It wasn't his fault Mommy." Wyatt defended his brother. "He was trying to stop Anna from pulling his hair."  
Piper hugged her boys. "Its ok, I'll talk to the teacher later." She watched them run off to play.  
  
Suddenly, a feisty pair of younger children ran into the kitchen crying. A little boy, and girl each about 3 or 4. Piper stood up in fright and scooped the young boy off the ground, as Phoebe did with the girl. They cuddled their shaken children. The girl was Phoebe's daughter, a brilliant little 3 year old, with the fight and imagination of her mother, as well as her striking looks. Her name is Patricia, after her grandmother. The little boy is Piper's 3rd son. He's just about to turn 4, he is strong and bold, and has the smarts of his mother. His name is Victor, after his grandfather.  
  
Paige, looking to find the cause of their tears asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
Patricia sniffled and pointed toward the doorway into the main sitting area of their home. Piper put her son down and began to walk into the next room. Phoebe and Paige stayed back. There was an air about Piper now, something was different. She was wiser somehow, stronger than the others.  
  
"Wyatt? Chris?" Piper called, checking to make sure the boys hadn't been tormenting the little ones. The boys didn't answer. "Come here right now!" She yelled.  
"Mommy!" Piper heard Wyatt scream. She ran to his voice and found both her older sons.  
  
They were standing side by side. Three powerful demons with snake tongues were trying to attack them. Wyatt was using his barrier to protect himself and his brother.  
  
"Come here!" Piper cried.  
  
Hearing the fuss, Phoebe and Paige ran into the room with Victor and Patricia. Piper whipped around and pointed a finger at them, motioning them to stay back. They did so.  
  
"You won't escape this time!" The demons said angrily.  
Piper scoffed at them. "Ya, like I've never heard that one before!"  
  
Wyatt and Chris ran to her, and she scooted them behind her as she blew up the demons. Their body parts and magical auras went flying everywhere. Piper back away again, seemingly knowing the battle was not done.  
  
The demons reappeared. "Mother of the Charmed line... you'll die for that!"  
  
Phoebe and Paige watched in horror as they all banded together to rid themselves of Piper. Their energies surged and vaulted from their arms to Piper's chest. She was sent flying into the wall behind her. Wyatt flew into a terrible rage and attacked the demons. Without understanding his powers fully, he managed to vanquish the demons. His rage sent a powerful wave of explosive energy, just like Piper's, only it wasn't triggered by a motion of hands, just his thoughts. The demons burst into flames and turned to ash. Paige and Phoebe rushed to Piper, who laid on the ground bleeding. All the children began to her cry. Her sons surrounded her.  
  
"Mommy!" Chris began to cry over his Mother uncontrollably.  
With some effort Piper managed to take his hand in hers and touch his cheek with her free hand. "Chris… it's ok. I'm here." She coughed. "Wyatt, you have to be strong, and stay good. Remember that I love you, that your Father loves you, all of you. Take care of each other... I love-" Before she could finish her thought, pain took her, and she collapsed, dead.  
  
They watched as her dead body began to cover itself with light. It was her powers, the powers she'd be harboring, holding for her sons. It was the power of the charmed ones. Over the years, as Piper gave birth to her children, her powers had grown again and again. With the birth of her third son, it became clear that the charmed line would now belong to men. Her sons. To protect them from that life, Piper had taken the burden upon herself. She enchanted herself with their powers, so that they might not feel the weight of the world until they were ready. However, upon her death those powers rose up from their host and sought to find their true owners. Wyatt, Chris and Victor were each surrounded in their mother's light. The light flooded them, and entered into their hearts. When the light had faded, the chandelier that Grams had cursed to open to the Charmed line began to glow once more. Phoebe and Paige watched as their nephews were imbued with what had once been their destiny: To fight demons, and protect the innocents.  
  
As they all stood shocked, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was the image of Piper. She was surrounded in heavenly lights, wearing a long, white, flowing gown. She looked younger, like she had at the peak of her own life. She looked lovingly down upon her sons, and then to her sisters and niece. They looked up in awe at her. She was beautiful.  
  
"Piper!" Paige cried out. "They're too young. They're not ready for this."  
Piper smiled warmly and disappeared.  
  
The boys continued to cry, tears of sadness streamed down their cheeks. Paige and Phoebe could not sooth them. Their mother was dead.

End of Flash Forward - back to 2004

Present day.  
  
He orbed in, and made his way down the long, dark ally. Something was wrong. He could no longer sense the demon of fear, Barbas. He'd been hunting him for so long, and now he was gone. Leo stopped and closed his eyes. He felt Piper; she was a little shaken about something. '…Probably a demon...' He thought to himself. 'The girls can handle it.'  
  
"You know what's worse then an elder walking among the filth?" A voice called to him from behind. "An elder who seeks revenge." It laughed. "I thought you people were all about the forgiveness?"  
Leo spun around to greet the voice, he was shocked when it was not who he'd thought it'd be. "Who are you?" He asked, annoyed.  
"I'm just a man, in search of a calling..." He drawled.  
The Elder cocked an eye to the strange man. "Oh? What's your purpose with Barbas?"  
"Nothing anymore... He's dead." He almost giggled with excitement.  
Leo became enraged. "What!?"  
"I'm sorry if I ruined your plans, but I've gotta do, what I've gotta do..."  
  
He blinked and quickly sensed that this man was no demon. In fact, he was human, pure human. What could allow a human to kill a demon as powerful as Barbas?  
  
"What do you want?" He asked the man.  
  
Before another word could be said, the man called out for his lackeys. A handful of demons appeared and dropped the lifeless body of Barbas to the ground. He'd been chasing him down as revenge for helping Gideon with Chris' death. Although his son had been reborn into this time, Leo wasn't satisfied. Chris' future had been jeopardized because of the man whom he'd respected and treated as a mentor and father figure. He'd been completely destroyed by the idea of total betrayal.  
  
The strange man looked to the body and then to his demon bodyguards who surrounded him.  
  
"Take the corpse away, and bring the blood to my followers." He ordered, as one of the demons took him by the arm, and shimmered out.  
With everyone gone, Leo spoke aloud to himself. "Followers?"  
  
Inside the Charmed One's home, a window shattered. Piper froze the upper level and human looking demon, then called for help. Paige and Phoebe came running into the front hall.  
  
"Whoa... when did he get here?" Phoebe asked quickly.  
Piper swatted at Paige's attempts to check her cuts. "I'm fine... he got here about thirty seconds ago... but that's not the problem-"  
  
As she tried to explain, the demon broke free of her power and began to charge at the girls. Out of panic, and reflex, Piper blew him up. Phoebe and Paige sighed in relief and looked to Piper.  
  
"That wasn't too bad..." Paige said happily.  
Piper grunted. "The problem is that-"  
  
Just as she began again, another upper level, human looking demon shimmered in and took charge, firing a few balls of energy at the charmed ones. They ran and hid for cover as the mini explosives ruined their furniture.  
  
"Oh my God... what the heck is going on?!" Phoebe cried out.  
Paige stood up as the demon made another fire ball. "Fire ball!" She called it to her, and sent it flying back to its owner, blowing him up.  
  
Another appeared.  
  
"They just come back, it's useless!" Piper yelled over the sound of their windows shattering by the front door.  
  
Thinking quickly, Phoebe ran over to the hall table and began to jot something down. Piper and Paige continued to blow the suckers up, but each time another came.  
  
"What are you doing!?" Piper scolded her sister for not helping, although she knew that her powers were inactive.  
  
Phoebe ran back with a piece of paper and began to read it aloud, it was a spell. Piper and Paige both realized what she was trying to do, and began to read with their sister.  
  
"Within our home, to those unknown, let this barrier help us, keep our enemies out of sight for the rest of the night!" They chanted.  
  
Their words rung true and a barrier erected itself around their home. The unknown demons couldn't pass through; they were safe... for now.  
  
"Thank God!" Paige sat down, breathing heavily.  
Piper ran to the kid's room and came back. "The barrier worked perfectly, its covering the entire house. They can't get in anywhere." She said, relieved.  
Phoebe nodded. "For tonight anyway... we need to figure out what they are, and what they want."  
"I'm on it!" Paige ran to the attic.  
  
As their little sister took research duty on full blast, Piper and Phoebe began to clean up the huge mess left behind from the battle.  
  
"I hate this." Piper muttered, but Phoebe could hear her.  
"Messes, demons, kids, it's a lot to deal with"  
Piper shook her head. "That's not what I mean."  
Phoebe stopped cleaning and looked at her older sister, a little confused. "What do you mean then?"  
Thinking about it for a moment, Piper looked around. "I hate that my boys have to grow up in this... this chaos. Wyatt barely gets to play anymore without a demon attacking."  
Phoebe understood. "I know, but the demon activity has increased lately. It's weird."  
"Is it? It's not weird, it's normal. It's our version of normal, anyway. It shouldn't be, and I don't want it to be for my kids."  
  
There was a tone to her voice that Phoebe hadn't heard in a long time. It was that nagging sense that maybe she was just ready to quit. But she couldn't. They'd given up their only chance at a life free of demons, but that was before she'd had children. Piper now faced all sorts of fears that Phoebe knew she couldn't understand until she had kids of her own. Piper had more to worry about then just surviving the next demon attack. If she didn't her kids would be left motherless and left without protection from their enemies. She had to always think of Wyatt and Chris, always worrying that if she slipped up, or if she didn't wake up right away, a demon might kill her babies. Phoebe looked at her sister with wonder and respect. The dark circles under her eyes gave her away though. She had combated her fears of demons attacking while she slept by not sleeping. Leo was gone, on a mission to avenge their son's death. Phoebe knew Piper understood why he left, but she could feel Piper's loneliness. She was alone. No one could fill that void, except Leo. Phoebe silently prayed that he'd come back, soon.  
  
"Why don't you call to him?" Phoebe asked bluntly.  
Stunned, Piper became misty-eyed. "How'd you...?" But words failed her.  
Phoebe's eyes widened. 'Did I just sense something?' She wondered. "Oh... oh, oh!" Phoebe jumped up and scurried off to an area that was clear of objects.  
Piper followed her, confused. "What are you doing?" She asked.  
"Shush." Phoebe insisted. "I have to concentrate." She explained.  
"On what?" The oldest sister asked.  
  
Then it became clear. Phoebe began to slowly rise into the air, levitating. She was a little unsteady, but her powers were back! Piper's face lit up with joy, as her sister demonstrated her gifts.  
  
"Are they back, can you call a premonition?" Piper was hopeful, and handed her Leo's jacket.  
  
Phoebe held the worn clothing in her hands, closing her eyes she tried to call her gift. She received no vision. She opened them up and saw Piper's nervous, yet hopeful expression.  
  
"Nothing from this... maybe..." She walked over to one of scorch marks the demons left behind.  
  
As her finger tips touched the floor, she was seized with images; Thousands of images. They were the premonitions she would have gotten, if her powers had not been stripped. Hundreds of demons, innocents and scenarios crossed her mind's eye. At last she saw the demon that had belonged to the scorch mark. He was diffidently an upper level demon. In her vision she saw him working with others like him, to use his power to kill other demons, including a horned one with lots of drool. Phoebe snapped out of it.  
  
"What did you see?" Piper asked.  
Phoebe cleared her mind for a moment. "Lots... but I saw the demon, he was working with a lot of other demons..."  
"Doing what?"  
The psychic frowned. "They're killing demons."  
  
As Phoebe explained her vision in more detail, Paige came downstairs with the Book of Shadows in her arms.  
  
"It's a conduit." Their little sister announced.  
"They're harboring powers, taking them from other demons." Phoebe explained.  
Paige scrunched her nose up. "Hey, I was doing the research here, how'd you know that?"  
"She has her powers back." Piper said happily.  
"Oh sweetie, that's great!" She hugged her sister.

As the night crept forward, and the moon gave way to the faint light of day, the girls researched and worked. However Paige was falling asleep on top of the book of shadows, leaving a nice puddle of drool on the picture of a conduit. While Piper was trying to coo a fussy Chris back to sleep, without waking Wyatt in the process; As Phoebe wrote spell after spell, always ending up crumpling them into little paper balls and throwing them to the ground in a heap.  
  
"Leo." Piper called. "Leo!" She called again.  
  
Standing at the threshold of her room, clutching a small teddy bear in her hands, she whispered his name. It was barely audible to others, or even to her. But in her head she screamed for him. Something inside her called out to him without need of voice or sound. She knew he could hear her, just as they always could feel each other. They weren't just soul mates, they were more then that. When she lost Leo, she had lost an extension to herself. She had lost her best friend. She had really and truly lost her better half.  
  
Little did the eldest witch know, her slightly younger sister was standing behind her. Not only was she sensing every bit of her pain, but she was watching as her older sister's heart was broken. Piper stood there for what seemed to be an hour, to Phoebe. Yet Piper wouldn't move, never giving up hope that _her_ Leo was not lost forever. Like the wife of a lost solider in times of war, so was Piper forlorn for Leo. Without him, she was going to slip.  
  
Phoebe backed away as silently as she could and headed down the stairs to wake Paige. She tossed her sister from side to side until she jumped up in mid-dream.  
  
"Not yet, Ricky!" She cried.  
  
Realizing it was just a dream; Paige yawned, stared down at her watch, and then squinted angrily at Phoebe.  
  
"What is it?" She asked.  
Phoebe shook her head. "It's Piper. We have to do something..."  
"Is it Leo, again?" She asked, then looked down and saw the puddle of drool starting. She quickly tried to cover it up with her arms. "So... what are we going to do about this?" She asked, overly-excited, trying to draw attention away from the book.  
Phoebe shrugged. "We can't do anything. Leo has to come back on his own."  
"You make it sound like he might not come back at all." Paige scorned.  
The middle sister sighed and became serious. "He may not."  
"He may not what?" Piper asked from behind them.  
  
Phoebe spun around and blushed a little. She didn't mean for her sister to hear that. Right away she sensed that Piper knew what was going on. Immediately she tried to explain.  
  
"Hey... I didn't mean that. I was just-" Phoebe blundered.  
Piper smiled faintly and shrugged her shoulders with a weak attempt to seem ok. "It's fine. I get it. You're just being honest, and I respect that, I do." Then she sighed and looked dead serious. "But he will come back. I know it. I feel it down to my bones. Leo isn't going to abandon us."  
Paige quickly responded. "Of course not. Phoebe wasn't saying that at all."  
"I hope not. I need you guys right now. I need you guys on my side." Piper said with a desperate tone.  
Phoebe took her sister by the arm and brought her in for a hug. "We always will be."  
  
In the heavens above; Leo orbed in and made a B-line straight to an Elder wearing a white robe, instead of the traditional golden color. He took him by the shoulder and spun him around to face him.  
  
"Leo, what do you think your doing?" The elder asked, horrified by Leo's angry gestures.  
Leo responded by punching him in the face. "You bastard!" He yelled.  
  
The other Elders standing near by quickly tried to pull Leo away. It didn't work. The ex-husband and Father of a Charmed Ones sons made a ruthless lunge at his target.  
  
"You sold us out! You helped kill my son!" He screamed.  
The Elder defended himself, and tried to block Leo's attack. "He's not dead Leo, he was reborn!" He tried to sooth his attacker.  
"Damn you Zola, I'll never rest until I see you sent where you belong!" He cried with a passion in his voice that echoed straight into the Earth below. Then, pointing down, he motioned where he'd send him. "I'll get you Zola, if it's the last thing I do." His voice was calmer now, but somehow more threatening then ever before.  
Zola backed up, quite afraid that Leo could back-up his threats. "Leo, you must understand our position. Your sons are a threat to the balance that we created. They could tear the cosmos apart at its seems!"  
  
Not hearing him anymore, it seems as though Leo was listening to someone else. The Elders that surrounded him could see no one.  
  
From Leo's point of view, a voice talked to him, it told him of Zola's betrayal, of his attempts to rid the world of his sons. It urged him to kill the Elder, to kill them all. They were a danger, a threat to his family, to his sons, to Piper. That eventually the Elders would all betray him, they would rise up and try to kill his family, even after everything he'd done and given up to save them from being destroyed. He'd given up a chance at a happy marriage with Piper, he'd given up the ability to see his sons grow up the way a Father should. He'd given up so much, he'd lost so much, and this is how they would repay him. With the blood of his loved ones on their hands.  
  
Unknown to Leo, the voice in his head was actually the astral projected spirit of Barbas. Although disconnected form his body, Barbas was still around. Due to his ability to feed on fear, he survived. As long as fear was around, he would be; in some form or another.  
  
Hearing the words of this unseen force; Leo's already fragile mind snapped. In a single felt swoop, Leo charged his electric hot energy and fired it into Zola. It incinerated him at once and caused a wave of energy to explode, knocked the other Elders off their feet. As the other Elder rose to grab Leo, he bolted to the tower of memory, where the whitelighter dust was kept. He grabbed a handful and cast it upon the entire room. The Elders stumbled and shook their heads, dazed and confused. Leo watched for a moment, as it hit him. What had he done?  
  
Just as the weight of his actions hit him, the voice laughed, and revealed itself. Leo was horrified. He had been tricked into killing another Elder, and erasing the memories of the other Elders too. Barbas laughed and disappeared, happy with his results.  
  
Down below, on Earth. Piper was folding laundry in the living room when suddenly she fell to the ground in tears. She sobbed uncontrollably. This hurt was like nothing she'd felt before. It was confused, and betrayed and horrified all at once. Hearing her tears, her sisters flew into the room in a panic.  
  
"Oh my God! Piper!" Paige exclaimed.  
Phoebe rushed her sister's side and held her cheeks with her hands. "What's happening, what's wrong?" She asked.  
Piper tried hard to stop crying. "It's nothing." She sniffled, shaking the emotions off, trying to act like they were never there at all.


	2. Chapter 2: Frozen and in fear

The next morning, Piper woke with the strange feeling that she'd forgotten something. Wyatt and Chris however, kept her too busy to really try and figure out what the problem was. She simply didn't have the time.

Phoebe, now off work was lounging about, wandering the house, not knowing what to do with herself. She wandered into Paige's room, and watched her little sister sleep. Momentarily she thought about how very creepy it would seem if Paige woke, and how creepy it really was. She shrugged it off and bent over Paige, smiling ear to ear when she sensed that her sister was having a really, really fun dream.

Paige woke up suddenly; with the eerie feeling she was being watched. To her horror, Phoebe was bent over her with this huge smile – it made her want to shriek.

"What are you doing?" Paige cried, shooing her away. "You can't just come in here and stare at me while I sleep! Do you know how weird that is? Well do you??"

Phoebe chuckled. "It's ok; I just wanted to wake you up... it worked didn't it?"

"Ugh, you make me so crazy!" She threw the covers off and hit the floor, heading out of her bedroom.

Leo orbed into the manor's attic. He fell to the ground, and began to shake with thoughts of what he'd done the night before. He'd done some surprising things before, but this was something that he had thought he was above. He honestly didn't see the darkness in him until it was too late. He'd slipped now, and wasn't even sure how to make it back up.

Piper was just putting the kids to sleep, when she felt a presence. It drew her toward the attic. She went silently, for some reason she didn't want Phoebe of Paige to follow her. As she ascended the stairs, that same uncontrollable sadness took her, but she ignored it, knowing she must reach the attic. She opened the door, fully expecting to see nothing there but cobwebs and the book of shadows. But what she found would make even more emotions rise and bubble at the surface.

Leo was rocking himself back and forth on the floor. He was crying, and obviously disturbed. The site of him in such pain brought long dormant feelings to the surface. She felt a swell of love for him wash over her. She went to his side and held him, protectively. She coddled him and held him, telling him that whatever it was, he'd be ok.

"Not this time." He whispered.

Piper stroked his forehead and kissed his head. "What happened?"

Leo took her arms with his hands and through teary eyes stared her down. "Piper, I killed an Elder, and covered it up."

"No. No." Piper gasped, knowing this could very well mean the end of him. "It's ok, no one else has to ever know. It'll be ok; I'll take care of you. I'll always take care of you." She promised him.

It was then that they heard the sound of Phoebe and Paige coming up the stairs. Leo looked worriedly at Piper, who calmly nodded her head.

"Go... come back tonight." She said quietly, as he orbed out and left her on the floor by herself.

"Piper, Chris is awake." Paige said, holding the baby in her arms. "What are you doing on the floor?" She asked.

"Nothing really, just thinking." Piper said calmly, too calmly.

Phoebe came in and began her own spiel. "Well, think about this. According to some sources in the underground, these demons that are working for the Conduits, they're being headed up by... get this... a human."

"A human?" Paige asked, confused.

Piper crossed her arms. "What sources do you have in the underground?"

Dismissing Piper's inquiry she skipped to Paige's question. "His name is Daniel B. Barker." Phoebe held up a news paper. "He's a cult leader, leading people to their 'salvation' through the worship of his deity."

"My God, he has demons following him?" Paige asked.

Piper was still nagging on about the sources. "Who exactly did you get this info from?"

"No, the demons aren't following him, they're helping him. Why, I don't know."

"Phoebe! Who did you get this info from!?" Piper demanded, taking Chris from Paige.

Phoebe looked sheepish for a minute. "No one, does it matter? I know the info I have is correct. That's all that matters."

"All that matters? That's it, huh? Unless it matters to you, it doesn't matter at all. Right?" Piper was fuming.

"I never said that." Phoebe protested.

"You didn't have to!" Piper yelled angrily.

Trying to calm the heated waters. "Hey, c'mon guys..." She took Chris from Piper.

Piper couldn't stop. She couldn't contain her anger anymore. She felt her powers surge beneath her skin, crackling, and sizzling. It burned to contain the anger, and the only way she saw to stop the burning was to use her powers. She stretched out her arms toward her sister, and opened her hands to use her powers. As she motioned to freeze Phoebe, Paige tried to stop her. But it was too late. Piper's increasing powers caused everyone in the house to freeze, except Piper herself. Heaving in anger, and trying to catch her breath from yelling, Piper looked around, aghast at what she'd done to her own flesh and blood, her own family.

As she backed away, terrified of her own might; Leo orbed in. He saw her standing there, amidst frozen figures of Phoebe, and Paige – both looking upset, scared and angry. Piper's hands were shaking. She looked to Leo for some kind of comfort, some answer. She wanted him to let her know that whatever was happening to her powers, it would be ok. He couldn't gratify her wishes; he just took her in his arms, as she had for him, and held her there, silently.

"Leo, my powers; they, they built up until I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to. I had to – it burned too badly. Leo, what's happening to me!?" She began to sob on his shoulder.

Leo brushed a few stray hairs from her face, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Piper, you know better than anyone that your powers are growing because they're meant to. You're only given what you can handle."

Piper shook her head in disbelief. "Only what I can handle? I can't handle any of this. Not now. There's just too much." She cried.

They embraced and hugged. Wiping her tears from her eyes, Piper straightened herself out, and suddenly, without slight of hand, Phoebe, Paige – with Chris, unfroze. They looked around, dazed, and noticed that Leo was there, beside her. Unaware of what Leo had done, Phoebe darted toward him.

"Go ask _them_ what the hell is allowing Piper to freeze us!" She demanded.

Piper shook her head. "No."

Paige, equally upset now. "Piper, whatever is going on, we have to find out."

Leo wasn't willing to betray Piper. "Sorry, I can't." He orbed out without further goodbyes or explanations.

Phoebe sighed, shaking her head. "That Figures."

"You know, I think we should be more worried about the fact that you have informants in the underground. Doesn't that bother you Phoebe? That you are turning to our enemies for information? You can't possibly trust them, can you?" Piper asked, honestly concerned.

Phoebe slunk back, and tried to avoid eye contact. "I know you're mad at me, I have been a little crazy lately, but it's only because I..." She began to trail off, unsure.

Paige was concerned now too. "Wait, you really have contacts down there, Phoebe, how could you?"

"It's not what you guys think..." Phoebe began.

Piper stepped closer. "Phoebe, in the future you turned _evil_, in the past you were _evil_, and now this? I really want to believe in the best, I do. Tell to me that you're not starting to slip away from us." She pained.

"No. No, you guys, no. It's Cole." She said at last.

Paige turned a dark red color, she was mad. "Cole!?"

Piper stepped back, unsure of what to say. "What do you mean, it's Cole. Cole is dead."

"I know... and he is, in our world. But well, this Cole is from a world where Prue never died – the world that would have led us to the future where you had a daughter." She explained hesitantly. "He's not the same. He's good. Really good – and still half demon."

Piper sighed. "A world where Prue _never_ died? What else did he feed you?"

Paige suddenly felt awkward. If Prue lived in some other world that meant she never found out she had sisters, that she never found out she was a witch, that she had a family, and a purpose. It made her want to cry, but she had to remain strong, and hold up appearances. It wasn't like Prue was here after all.

"Prove it, tell him to prove it. If he got out of this world, then he can get Prue too." Piper said angrily.

Phoebe looked at Paige, sensing her sudden sadness. "I don't know, she's not meant to be here Piper... not that I wouldn't love to see her, I would."

Piper shook her head. "Cole isn't meant to be here either, so unless you want me to summon, and then blow up his half demonic ass, I suggest you get your bottom to wherever he is and tell him to bring my sister back – now." She finished.

Paige's head dropped, and she stared at the floor. Unable to speak, or move, a fear she didn't know she had rose up and took hold of her. She never realized how afraid she had been that someday she'd be replaced. Prue was going to come back. Her use was gone. With Prue back, they didn't need the little _half_ sister anymore. They would have the real thing again, what good was she?


	3. Chapter 3: The Mother of All Magic

"Cole!" Phoebe called out. "Cole!" She said more sternly.

He shimmered in just like he'd done so many times before. He looked around, vaguely nervous looking, staring at faces that were both familiar and new.

"What did you want?" He asked, without much humor or emotion.

Piper raised her hand to blow him up – mostly for effect, but she was serious. "You can bring back Prue?"

"Well, um, no – I mean, to me she's not dead..." Cole cleared his throat.

Piper frowned. "I don't understand, so you're not going to do it?"

Nervously Phoebe tried to explain. "Well, think about it. If Prue comes here, it'd just mean that she wasn't there – with us. Would you want to do that?"

Piper backed up, saddened. "I think you should go." She muttered to Cole.

Confused Cole questioned her. "What?"

"Go!" Piper screamed, blowing the couch in the attic up without so much as a wave of her hand.

Leo grabbed the Mother of his sons and held her down as more things began to blow up. The girls kept screaming to grab her hands, but her hands weren't the problem. In fact, her hands were no longer motioning her powers. Piper's rage had influenced her powers to an awesome degree. She struggled to free herself; the more she fought the more things would burst into flames and turn to dust. Phoebe, Paige and Cole ran for their lives as Piper's powers went crazy. It was clear to Leo that right now Piper was not in control of her powers. He let her go, and touched her head with his hands. His hands began to glow with whitelighter power. The warmth of Leo's healing light, and his love, brought calm to Piper. Her breathing slowed, and she slunk to the floor.

This time it wasn't just a slight shake of her hands that bothered Leo. Piper's breath was completely erratic. She was shaking from head to toe, perspiration beaded on her forehead, this time, her powers had been clearly out of control. Maybe she'd been right to be more concerned. Perhaps her powers were escalating too fast, too soon.

"Piper, I have to go." Leo stood to leave.

She grabbed his leg, begging him to stay. "No, you can't – they might... you could be recycled back to earth – you'd die."

He tried to escape her grasp. "I don't care. This is more important. I think you're powers are becoming unsafe. I have to protect my family. You all are more important to me than my own life."

Piper just cried, as Leo orbed out.

-------------------------------------------------

"Mr. Barker?" A woman entered his office.

She was wearing black robes with red trimming. She was a follower of his cult. He was proud of himself, to say the least. The blood of Barbas was smeared all over her face, and she wore it proudly. None of them had any clue that they were just small little pieces of something so much larger.

"What can I do for you, Betty?" Daniel answered.

Betty sat down on the other side of his desk. "I'm feeling a little lost. What can I do to feel centered again?"

"Well, dear. There is only one thing any of us can do to find our center. We must pray to our idol. We must ask for forgiveness for straying from his ways, and we must ask to be enlightened." Daniel placed a warm, confident hand on her shoulder.

Betty smiled brightly, as she stood to leave. "Oh thank you! Thank you!"

"I'm always glad to Shepard lost souls to salvation, and remember, spread the word... salvation can only be achieved by helping others find themselves." He said happily, showing her the door.

Once he knew she was gone, Daniel turned to the darkest corner of his office. He stared at it, as if he saw something there other than shadows, and one very dead sunflower.

"Are you there, or is that just my imagination?" He asked the shadow.

Out of the darkness sprang a demon; he crossed his arms and stared the human in the eye. There was a strange connection they shared. It wasn't natural. Demons and humans weren't meant to see one another this way. Demons hunted humans, sure, but this was something else.

"He wishes to speak to you." The demon said blankly.

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Now?"

"Now."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"It'll be ok Piper." Phoebe tried to sooth her older sister.

Paige was rocking Chris to sleep, as she kept a watchful eye on Wyatt. "I'm sure Leo will get the answers we need."

She shook her head. "That's just it, I wish he'd stay here, forget the Elders."

Cole had watched this scene unfold for some time now. He'd said nothing, feeling that his presence would be better left unseen. They knew he was there, but he didn't wish to stir things up anymore than he'd probably do anyway. He felt badly for these charmed ones. They had a lot more to deal with then the girls he'd known. Prue dying must have cause a great ripple effect. For one, Piper had a set of boys – which was, well he hadn't said anything yet, but it was very weird. Not only that, but Phoebe had gained this empathy power, which his Phoebe didn't have. Not to mention whoever Paige was... some kind of cosmic replacement from the powers that be perhaps? So many things were not the same. So many things were wrong to him. Then again, who was he to judge?

Just as Cole was preparing to say something, Leo orbed in, looking worse for wear. He was panting, as if he'd been a fight of some kind.

"I spoke to an oracle." He said, worried.

Piper's gaze heightened. "And?"

Leo frowned. "And she's coming here, she refused to tell me whatever it is."

Paige handed Chris off to his Mother. "That's good right?"

"I don't know. Oracles are tricky. They're like walking, talking riddles." He shrugged. "They're clear only in the presence of those they are meant to speak to."

Finally Cole cleared his throat, ready to say something. "Ora-"

A crash of lightening, followed quickly by thunder and smoke filled the room. A set of three Oracles stood before them. Their skin was gold; their eyes were ice-blue. They all wore Greek-styled robes, with silver trim. They looked like living statues.

"You question." The middle Oracle looked directly to Piper.

The witch was stunned. "What's happening with my powers?"

"You are transforming." The middle one said.

"Transcending" The left one added.

"Rising above others." The right finished.

Piper was confused. "What does that mean? Why can I freeze witches?"

"Greater power has greater effects. Normal laws of balance do not apply." They began to speak in one voice.

Trying to grasp at what they were telling her. "But I'm still a witch, right?"

"You are what you were born as, however you will not be the same forever."

Paige and Phoebe looked at one another. What did that mean? They worried now, more than they had worried before. These answers were only making it more confusing.

"So if I won't be a witch, what will I be?" The eldest sister asked.

"You will become wisdom, power, love, guidance, and warmth of heart. You will become the barer of Magic."

"Barer of Magic, you mean my children?" She inquired.

They answered. "They will be magic's last defenders as the world ascends into the new era."

Distraught now more then ever. "Last defenders?"

"What started must in turn end. Nothing can last forever." With that the Oracles left as they had come, in a cloud of noise and smoke.


	4. Chapter 4: Demonic Human

"You wished to see me?" Daniel gulped down a wave of vomit and spit that seemed to crawl up his throat. "My Lord?"

The thing by which he referred to as Lord, he knew it was no God. That it did not dwell in the heavens. It wasn't good, and it wasn't nice – or pretty. But he worshiped it, because, in the end what he wished to gain from it outweighed all other things. It could give him power, and immortality. These were gifts too precious to go without, not now that he knew there was something he could do to change it.

Around four years ago, he had been a normal man – seeking nothing more out of life than his pay check, and maybe a family sometime down the line. But four years ago, everything had changed. He'd almost ended up as the victim of a demon, a banshee. Her curdling scream was almost ready to take his soul, when something had killed her. He didn't know what, and he didn't know why – but he'd been saved. That night changed his life. He saw in the shadows what other men did not. He saw the uses that demons could have to serve man. Demons had been blessed with powers beyond normal men's imaginations. They walked about this Earth without so much as a clue as to what really went on in the background. The seeds of evil that grew all around them, they had not a clue. Daniel knew if he could just reach out, and strike a compromise with a truly malevolent creature, with command that controlled all others, he himself could live forever, and be powerful like them as well.

At first he didn't know what to do, or where to look. Magic books he bought were useless, unless he wanted to gain a lover, or some such trash. What he desired was not going to be bought at any _Barns and Nobles_. What he needed was a book written by Magical creatures, for their own uses. A _Grimore_, is what they called it – A book of rituals and spells at the nastiest level. So, he set out to find himself a demon, any demon that could give him a pathway to knowledge. But how was a man supposed to get attention from demons who normally only look to humans as meals, targets, and play things? That's when he got his idea.

"How many new followers have you collected thus far?" It gurgled.

Daniel was sure he didn't want to know what that sound really was. "My Lord, you will be very pleased. We added almost ten more worshipers today alone!" He bragged.

"Good." The gurgling sound emanated from its bowels and moved upward toward its Adam's apple.

The human turned slightly pale, and tasted more vomit in his mouth – which he quickly swallowed. "The day of their baptisms is nearing, and then you will have all the... donations you require." He smiled.

"Indeed." It said with a quirky tone. "Now leave – I have too much to do to be bothered by the likes of you."

Daniel bowed his head and backed away. "As you wish."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been two days, and no demons had attacked. Normally this would have made Paige feel happy – but this was not the feeling she felt. It was more like she was trapped in the eye of a storm, and the calm had hit, but she knew it was about to get ugly. She knew it. Down to her bones she felt it – and it sent a chill down her spine.

Here she was a witch – a powerful witch, a charmed one, one of three charmed sisters. Only, the balance they had enjoyed for the last few years was slipping. It was giving way to something bigger than her, bigger than her shared destiny with her sisters. It was scary. To think that piper might actually begin to embody magic and wisdom, as they knew it, was kind of – well, it frightened her. No one was supposed to embody that much, the soul can't handle it. What if Piper turned evil, what if that was what turned Wyatt in the future? What if that's what killed Piper in the future that Chris had come back to change? Her questions were endless, and her answers were slim. It was true, Piper had always seemed stronger then herself and Phoebe. Neither of them had ever said anything. None of them really wanted to talk about it. All that time, and they never even guessed that maybe, just maybe, Piper's end destiny wasn't going to be shared with theirs. That's something that scared her even more. Everything they had as witches, as sisters they shared. This was something that had been predestined – but only for Piper. Why her? Why not Phoebe, why not herself?

It wasn't that she was jealous of Piper; God knows the woman had more on her plate then Paige ever wanted to have. She has two magical – very magical – sons, a husband who was an Elder, and now this. Powers so out of control they actually made her vault into fits of rage. Nope, Paige didn't want any of that, and she wished that Piper, who just wanted a normal life, didn't have to carry it around either. Piper was her idol, the person by which she compared herself to. Piper was also her mentor; she had taught her everything she knew about her powers.

Even with all her crap, Piper was still trying her best to be there always for her boys, and for Leo. All while helping to track down this new demon of the week – or rather – human. Which, led her to this thought.

"What if I could track this Daniel Barker guy down with a few of my old social services buddies?" Paige asked Phoebe and Piper, as they discussed what to do with their latest threat.

Cole, who had shimmered in right this moment, answered. "That's a good idea. I think the less magic you use around this guy, the better."

Phoebe, crossed her arms and sighed, saying. "Why is that?"

"Well, because I think whatever his end-game goal is, he's using demons to his advantage – you wouldn't want him to realize he could use witches too, would you?" He answered.

Piper was just all-around annoyed by Cole even being in her presence, and she made it clear. "Look, I think that until we know more about this guy, we shouldn't make a move on him at all."

Cole was a little disturbed by Piper's solution. "But that won't eliminate the threat..." he began.

"That's just it. Nothing can eliminate the threat – not really. So why bother trying? Lets just get as much info as we can on this guy, and then kill him – or whatever it is we're supposed to do to a renegade idiot who thinks he can use demons to fulfill his every perverted dream." With that Piper stood up, picked up her cup of coffee, and headed into the living room.

"Well." Cole breathed, a little stunned. "That's not the sister-in-law I know and love."

Paige shook her head. "Nope..."

"Yea, I know..." Phoebe muttered, still a little freaked out that somewhere out there, she was not only in love with Cole, but happily married. Then, looking to Cole. "Shouldn't you... Oh I don't know... be trying to get home, or something?"

Cole sighed, scratched his hand, and smiled, teasingly at her. "I thought I was home..." Then standing up straight, he became a little more serious. "Right now, I feel I could do more good here."


	5. Chapter 5: A March to Prescott Street

"Tonight is the night that each of us have been waiting for!"

His goblet hit the large wooden table, and splashed what looked like red wine, but smelled more rotten all over the wood. It was blood. It was the blood of demons, many demons, demons that had been murdered, vanquished, whatever you wanted to call it, all for his cause. A cause which these people did even know. Yet they followed him, because he promised them things like immortality, and power. These were the things that would benefit him, but never them.

"Tonight, you all will set out into this world, as an army!"

The echoes of his voice reached the very back of the large gym-like room. It housed his many followers, hundreds of drones by which he was about to complete his final task, before setting foot on the Earth as a new man, or rather demon. He was about to break every rule the universe had set out for him, and he couldn't have been happier for it.

"March to Prescott street – and kill the three women there – they are the only things set before you – the only ones that could destroy our Idol's power!"

With that said, and a final chug of their matching mugs, of what could only be described as a vile mixture of demonic blood and drugs that increase hyperactivity as well as rage. The now enraged and charged-up followers swarmed the double doors, heading out into the night, as they went to complete the task set before them.

To himself, Daniel smiled and said. "It's almost done."

-----------------------------------------------------

With no one left in the house but Cole, Phoebe thought it'd be safe enough to use her powers a little bit more – freely again. She tip toed into her bedroom, and closed the door just a little. She broke open a bag of letters she'd saved from her column and began to try and feel what the writer's truly wanted to hear from her.

Unbeknownst to her Cole was on his way into her room. He entered when her back was turned, so he watched for a moment, quickly realizing what she was doing.

"Given that power of yours, wouldn't you call that self-gain?"

Phoebe turned, completely flabbergasted that she'd been caught. She quickly tucked the letters under her bed, and straightened herself out. This was not _her_ Cole... but it was still _Cole_. Even though she'd like to say he had no effect on her, even after everything that she'd been put through, he still had that... that something. He'd always been able to capture her with his eyes, effortlessly. There was diffidently – something.

Phoebe clambered to explain. "I wasn't – that is..."

"You know... My Phoebe wouldn't have thought about doing something like that." He began.

She frowned. "I'm not _yours_."

"No, _you're_ not."

He walked away from her. However, Phoebe couldn't tell if it was just Cole, being Cole. Or if he was truly that upset with what she'd done. Undaunted by his words, though, she moved onto the next letter, making notes as she went.

It was about an hour later when there was crash downstairs. Phoebe vaulted herself from her bed, and ran down the stairs to find Cole lying on the floor. She checked him, but he was fine and dusted himself off.

"What the hell happened?" She asked.

He bent down and picked up a shoe. "I tripped." He said casually.

Phoebe squinted at him. "You did what?" Laughing she continued. "A demon that tripped on his own shoe..."

Cole frowned this time, shaking his head. "This is _not_ mine."

Phoebe snatched the men's sized shoe from his grasp and stared at it. It didn't belong to Leo that was for sure. Elder's didn't wear business shoes like this. But if it wasn't Leo's and it wasn't Cole's, then whose shoe was it?

"Hey, give me my shoe!" Someone yelled from behind.

Both Cole and Phoebe turned, and were stunned by the masses of people standing in front of them. It was hundreds of people, all wearing the same robe. What the hell? Phoebe's mind was racing. Had the demonic underworld finally had enough of them? Was this some kind of secret demon army? What they heck was going on?

"Those are not demons." Cole ventured to say.

Phoebe blinked, and tried not to act annoyed by his keen sense. "What do mean no demons? You mean they're human!?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

Cole grabbed the witch's arm and began to run with her toward the attic. He knew going up was always a bad idea, but if worse came to worse he could always shimmer them out. As they ran up the stairs, a million problems crept up and hit him in the head. They were human, and he couldn't very well go back to killing innocents after years of saving them. Could he?

"What should we do?" Phoebe panicked. "The book can't help us. Those are humans... I can't attack humans with magic... I'm pretty sure that's a bigger no-no than using my powers for my own gain!" She was pacing, as the door to the attic was being slammed against again and again.

"I could shimmer us out..." He suggested.

Phoebe disagreed. "And leave the others to come home from Grocery shopping to find this?"

He suggested again. "I could shimmer us to wherever they are..."

"And risk magic exposure..." Phoebe's pacing led her to the window, which she started to open.

Cole shrugged it off. "One little exposure isn't going to hurt you."

"We've had a little bit more of a problem with that than you guys...I really can't risk anymore exposure, lord knows I don't want to be erased."

Confused by that, he said. "Erased, what on Earth did you girls do?"

"Long story."

The window opened finally, so the witch grabbed the half demon and began to pull him out the window, beginning their escape. Cole wasn't even completely out of the window when Phoebe saw him slunk over, falling back inside the attic room. Unable to see what was happening from the view she had clinging to the wall and drain. Phoebe reluctantly climbed back to help him.

Never in her life had she seen anything like this. Humans of all races, genders, and ages climbed and pawed all over Cole. He could barely move now, he was pinned to the floor, beneath a flood of crazy cult worshipers. In a panic, Phoebe tried to cast a spell, but nothing happened. She tried to levitate over the crowd, but again, nothing happened. What a time for her powers to jam up!

Then, in a flash of light, she was before Elders and demons alike – just as she had been while being tried for her misuse of magic.

"Phoebe Halliwell. You have once again chosen to use your gifts for the betterment of your own wants – rather than to use them only to help innocents, therefore it is the decision of this council to discontinue your parole, until you can prove you are capable of having your gifts."

Phoebe was stunned. "Parole? Wait – you don't understand, I was-"

The man who had done all the speaking slammed a hammer on his table. Before the echoes could even stop ringing, Phoebe found herself right where she had been, surrounded by masses of insane people, who were now attacking her. She did the best she could, fighting them off like anything else. However, numbers were against her, even with Cole, who was now completely submerged inside a sea of humans.


	6. Chapter 6: Absolute Destruction

"That's so cute!" Paige cooed at Chris and Wyatt interacting, as she pushed their stroller to the door, waiting for Piper and Leo to catch up with the bags of food.

Leo and Piper were laughing and exchanging glances of mutual affection. It made Paige happy to see them together, and acting something other than miserable. Understanding what was happening to Piper seemed to expel some of their worry, at least for now. However, two kids, not enough sleep, and no dinner were beginning to make her just a little annoyed.

"Could two hurry up... Aunt Paige needs food and rest before she withers away and dies!" She laid on the sarcasm thick.

Piper smiled, rolling her eyes at her sister. "Alright, alright... let me just get the keys." She began to dig in her pocket.

Leo noted the door was not shut properly. He walked up to it, without saying a word, and pushed it open. The girls fell silent. Had they been robbed? Had demons attacked while they were out?

The house was silent. Paige rolled the stroller over some broken glass, horrified at the absolute destruction their house was in. She left both of the kids in their stroller, for safety, they didn't want anyone cutting themselves. Piper's well made boots crunched the already small pieces of window into powdered glass. She made her way past the front room, into the kitchen. Everything was trashed. It looked like a stampede of people ran through her home.

Paige shrugged. "Maybe Phoebe and Cole had a fight..." She said half-heartily.

"I don't think so... Leo..." Piper turned to her husband. "Is Phoebe ok?"

Leo closed his eyes, and opened them suddenly. He looked worried, like she should have sensed something sooner. He dashed toward the attic stairs, with Paige and Piper behind him, only because they took the time to grab the kids.

"Paige... put the kids in their room, I don't want them to see, if..." Her words trailed, as she came upon the scene.

Paige didn't have time to take the kids to their room. What she saw in the attic stopped her in her tracks. "Oh my God."

It was a sight none of them wanted to see. It was that gut wrenching feeling all of them wished they'd never felt. Phoebe was laying face down in a pile of rubble. The remains of what looked to be their cabinets from the side of the attic cluttered the floor beneath her. Blood splattered everything. Leo couldn't tell for sure, but it looked as though she'd been ritualistically bled – As if drained for another purpose, other than death. Yet death is what the end result had been. Her face was grey with loss of blood; her lips were a pale color, bluish in tint. Her arms outstretched – fighting it the entire way. Her legs were laid apart, at an angel that seemed to indicate that she had been forcibly held down – probably for the blood-letting. Stab wounds littered her body, as if a hundred people had taken their turn digging into her. The elder ran his hands through his hair and swallowed down his fears. He placed his hand on her shoulder, motioning to turn her over. He let his hands hover over her chest, waiting, holding his breath that his healing light could do its job.

After only a few seconds, but it felt more like hours to Paige, she spoke.

Choking on her words, she said. "Why isn't it working... it should work... what's wrong?"

Knowing all too well what was wrong, remembering what happened to Prue and now Phoebe too, Piper didn't ask. She covered Wyatt's eyes, and just started to cry. This couldn't be happening again, not again. She'd gone through too much, too much to relive her worst nightmare all over again.

"Leo...?" Paige, sounding as innocent as a small child, couldn't grasp the idea that sometimes magic just didn't work. "Why isn't she waking up?" Paige, still holding a sleeping baby Chris in her arms, knelt on the ground and began to sob.

Not taking no for an answer, Piper stood up, stomping her feet on the ground. She stared into toward the sky, and shouted. "You've taken so much from us, but I will not let you take her! Not her! You hear me? Not her!" Piper demanded. "Not this time, you won't get another one!" Then, turning to Leo. "You summon everything you have inside – you bring her back!"

Leo didn't know what to say. It was futile to think he could bring someone this far gone back to life. He wished it wasn't so, but it was. There was only so many miracles that even an Elder could produce. He didn't sense anything left of her, and her spirit was not here anymore – she'd already moved on. He looked down into her face, her mouth was opened a little, and her eyes were fixed on something – glazed over and dull now, they bore a hole into his head.

"Piper..." Leo's eye began to well up with tear. "She's not here anymore."

Piper shook her head, unable to hear that. "No... no..."

It was then that Cole began to make groaning sounds, as he started to wake up. In the distance he could hear noises, he could hear Piper, and Leo... and Paige. Phoebe? Why couldn't he hear Phoebe?

Cole sat up quickly. "Phoebe!?" He screamed, as his eyes adjusted to the lighting of the attic.

It didn't take long for him to find the cause of their tears. The mangled mess Phoebe had been left in could only mean one thing. They drained her blood for their sick leader – who would probably use it to pervert some ancient ritual. Cole went to her side, closing her eyes, and taking her hand into his. Her bloody finger's dangled limping over his palm. One of her nails was broken off, and the blood had already dried. There was only one way top make this better.

"I can fix this." He said in a lowly voice.

Piper grabbed him, as Leo took Wyatt and Chris away from the scene. "Then fix it."

"Fix it now." Paige sniffled, taking a dagger, still covered in blood, from the floor.

Cole nodded expectantly. "You must understand, she might not come back the same. Demonic resurrections, they aren't like whitelighter healings."

Paige and Piper both answered at once. "I don't care. Do it."

Cole took Phoebe's still limp body into his arms, and shimmered into the underworld with her – bent of resurrecting the love of his life – even if in this incarnation she didn't love him.


	7. Chapter 7: Love Goes Along Way

The underworld; It wasn't a place Cole Turner enjoyed being in. Everything about it was evil, everything. It had this habit of turning those who found themselves within its borders into something more evil than they had been before. He made his way into an abandoned temple, and let Phoebe's body rest on the rock slab provided for the alter. He cast an invisible spell over her, so that no one could take her body while he was gone. It was up to him to find a demon capable of resurrecting the dead. He wanted the best, no zombies or half-alive Phoebes would cut it, not for him, and certainly not for her sisters.

If this matter had been left to him, sadly enough, he probably would have let Phoebe stay dead. However, Cole realized that was not an option with Piper or Paige in the mix. They wanted their sister, whatever the cost. Not to mention without her, the power of three was gone, and thus their ability to protect their children had dwindled to just Leo. He understood their stance, not only did they grieve for her, but they had practical problems that could only be fixed with Phoebe's return. The problem was, would she return the way she had been, or would his fears be realized; would the resurrection take its toll?

He walked with a stride that seemed to say 'I'm in charge'. It was that walk that got attention from a few demons, which he was sure hadn't seen him in a while, in this world, or his. He grabbed a smaller looking guy by the shoulder and began to haul him back toward the abandoned temple.

"Hey, let me go!" The scrawny little wimp cried.

Cole laughed. "Before I show you my present?"

He tossed the little man into the temple and closed the door behind them. Then quickly a whispered a barrier spell to keep everyone out, and everyone in.

The tiny man, who was actually one of the underworlds finest in resurrections, was confused as to why he'd been taken hostage. There was no body for him to raise, what good was he?

"Reveal!" Cole chanted into the darkness, and thus Phoebe's body materialized. "See that lovely lady right there? That is a 'Charmed' one. She was murdered a few hours ago – I want you to make her come back... understand?"

The tiny man nodded. "It requires a few things. I need the weapon that killed her, and her killer."

"Well that's the thing, about two or three hundred humans stabbed her to death – they all pretty much had their own daggers..." Cole was a little upset.

Surprised by the shear numbers, the tiny man sat down, scratching his head and wondering how on Earth he could pull this off. "Wow." He took a breath. "Ok, just get me any weapon – and... any murderer, I guess." He shrugged.

"What do you mean, you guess?" Cole snatched the little guy off the ground and made him sway in the air. "This isn't a guessing game; I need this to be perfect..."

The tiny man gasped for air, and struggled to be freed. "Ok, ok. But get me those things... or it won't happen at all."

Cole let him down, and shimmered out, well aware that the demonic raiser of the dead couldn't so-much as leave to go to bathroom. He shimmered back into the attic, finding the sisters and Leo still there, trying to figure out what to do. When he came back, Piper glared at him, as if he'd killed Phoebe himself by not bringing her back with him. Paige was flipping through the Book of Shadows, while Leo was just pacing.

"I need this..." He snatched the dagger without so much as an explanation and shimmered out again.

Paige, unfazed by his actions, flipped the book again, and said. "I got it!" She announced.

"What?" Piper said in a dull, unemotional tone.

The littlest sister brought the book to them, and stated out loud. "It's right here, to summon a spirit."

Piper stood, knowing the spell by heart from years of summoning her grandmother.

"_Course unseen across the skies  
Come to us who call you near  
Come to us and settle here_"

She took a drop of her blood and finished.

"_Blood to blood I summon thee  
Blood to blood return to me_"

A swirl of lights came down from the ceiling, and stopped in the middle of their circle of candles. The girls waited on pins and needles for their sister to arrive. When the lights began to morph into her figure, it became all too real that Phoebe was really gone from this world. The lights turned into a translucent image of her former self. Piper looked on in awe as her sister's spirit stood before them.

"Phoebe..." Piper said - almost ready to cry again.

Phoebe smirked. "I knew you guys would call me back."

"We're gonna fix this, you'll be ok." Paige promised.

Phoebe stepped from the circle and became livelier to look at. Of course this wasn't her body; it wasn't a body at all. It was physical manifestation of what her body looked like in life. She took a breath, without really breathing and hugged her sisters tightly. She felt them tense as they took hold of her cold skin.

"It's ok, I'm fine." Phoebe assured. "How exactly did you plan to bring me back, anyway?"

Piper swallowed the rising lump in her throat. "Cole's on it." She promised.

Phoebe's face turned sour. "Cole...?" She knew that meant it was not through white magic.

"That's right, you'll be ok." Paige said again.

Phoebe nodded. "Uh huh. But not if I come back through black magic, I won't-"

Suddenly Phoebe dematerialized back into spirit form. She was sucked back into the circle and then summoned away all together. The girls lunged toward her, as if to keep her there. They both landed on the floor with a thud.

Furious, thinking the elders were behind this, Piper began to smash things purposefully with her newer, enhanced powers. Then she stopped. If her powers were active that meant Phoebe was alive again! Unbelievably happy, she grabbed Paige and kissed her on the cheek, then grabbed Leo and kissed him, tongue included.

"Piper?" Paige wondered, watching her sister bounce between rage and bliss like nothing at all. "Are you ok?"

Paige didn't get it, because her powers are tied to being a whitelighter, so she didn't loose them when Phoebe died. She just watched with humor and, a little terror, as Piper hopped up and down and bounced all over the place. It was like watching the Easter bunny on speed.

"She's back! She's back!" Piper cried happily.

Paige smiled. "Phoebe's alive?!" She ran over and hugged Piper, and then Leo.

Now both sisters were hopping around like crazy little bunnies. Leo just watched them, happy that they didn't have to bury yet another sister. As he watched them jump for joy, he saw Cole shimmer in with Phoebe clutching his hand. She looked beaten and battered. Demonic resurrections didn't heal you the way a white-lighter's did. Her body was still a mess, her clothes her torn, and her mind had been left in that state of terror she must have felt as she was killed. Leo rose from his seat and walked up to her, placing his hands over her to start the healing. He managed to heal most of the deeper wounds, but Phoebe ran from him and hid herself in the corner of the attic before he could finish.

Seeing their sister rocking in the corner, absolutely terrified, Piper and Paige tried to coax her out, telling her that she was ok, that she was home now and safe. Phoebe just muttered that '_they_' were everywhere, over and over.

"What's wrong with her?" Piper asked, looking to Cole.

Cole had tried to explain earlier, but they wouldn't listen. "I tried to tell you..." He began.

"Tell us what? Paige interrupted.

The half demon sighed. "Demonic resurrections take the body and bring back the soul into its last state before it died. It takes time for the soul to come to grips with life again – just give her time." He stated.

Piper frowned. "How much time?"

"I don't know, given what she endured, she might never be the same." He explained. "Not just in the head."

Paige didn't like the way that sounded. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, using dark magic to fix something never fixes it right, not even in the best of circumstances, and Phoebe's, well she didn't exactly have an easy ride back to humanity. Ok?"

By this point Piper had coaxed her sister from the corner, and shrouded a blanket over her. She went and got Chris and Wyatt to try and comfort her. The kids always made her happy. Piper was pleased when she saw Phoebe crack a smile upon seeing her nephews. Wyatt climbed on the couch beside her, handing her his stuffed animal. Then, he crawled onto her lap, expecting to be read to, and cuddled. As Wyatt crawled onto his aunt's lap, his body began to glow with a golden light, and Phoebe's wounds healed. Everyone cheered Piper's son. Phoebe hugged her nephew tight, and kissed his cheek. She was starting to come back to them.

"See. A little love goes a long way..." Piper scoffed at Cole's worry.

Cole crossed his arms. "Mentally she might recover, but she was brought back using a demon – she can't be the same inside and out – she just can't." Unable to explain it any further, he shimmered out.


	8. Chapter 8: A Hallowed Halliwell

"It's time to go to work!" Daniel called out to the shadow.

From the shadows, his demon ally materialized. In his hands, he clutched a jar with blood collected in it. Daniel took the jar and placed it on the alter behind him. This would be the last time he'd need to gather all his followers, because after this final ritual, his goal would be accomplished.

Sure, it would have been nice to have all three Charmed One's blood as an extra boost, but truth be known, all they had needed was one sister to act as their final, magical sacrifice. Now they had a jar full of red, syrupy blood – it was the greatest, most potent ingredient to his twisted plan. He poured a few drops into about two hundred cups. Each follower filed toward the alter to grab their cup. They took the blood and anointed it upon their foreheads. This was it. Daniel could feel the energies working in the air. His goal was about to be realized.

The demonic aid summoned forth the other demons working in allegiance with this demented human being. They lined themselves along the wall behind the alter. They too played an important part in this plan. Daniel was human, average, and unremarkable. So, Daniel enlisted the aid of magical creatures to do his ritual work for him.

In the manor, the sisters sat in the attic. Piper and Paige were concocting potions, and spells to try and find their human foe. This was new territory for them. Normally their enemies were demonic, and therefore, easier to locate through magical means. Daniel Barker however, flew under those radars – making the sisters' jobs that much harder.

Phoebe wasn't helping. She wasn't doing much actually; still sitting on the couch, staring blankly toward Wyatt's play-pen as he played with his toys. She could hear her sisters talking about the fight to come, she understood it. Something inside her felt trapped. It was as if her will to thrive, her spirit wasn't there. Something in her was still dead.

"Don't add that!" Piper froze the ingredients before they fell into the potion.

Paige sighed. "You know, this would go a lot faster..." She raised her voice, to add force "If you would stop doing that!"

"Sorry, but that would just make him sneeze..." Piper grabbed the frozen herbs out of mid-air, and placed them back on the table. "Add this." She grabbed another jar knowingly and mixed it in. "Smells good..." She said sarcastically.

"Sure, if sweaty feet smell good." Paige pinched her nose shut. "I think I am gonna puke."

They chatted casually as they made their stinky potions. Suddenly Phoebe was standing beside them. She stared into the pot. Piper and Paige both jumped, a little startled.

"Whoa, didn't hear you come up behind us, Hun." Paige said, placing a hand on Phoebe's shoulder.

The middle sister pulled back, away from her sister's embrace. "I can still hear them. They're chanting." She said, almost to herself – as if she didn't know anyone else was there.

Piper looked to Paige, frowning, and then to Phoebe with concern. "Who's chanting? What do you mean?"

"They're asking for it now. It's starting." She said.

It was then that the door to the attic opened, and Leo came in, tired from Chris' fussiness. He smelled the potion, and almost fell over from the odor. He covered his mouth and nose and braced himself to walk closer to _'the pot of deadly fumes'_.

"Hey, it's good to see you moving around." He said happily to Phoebe. When she didn't respond to him, he looked to her sisters with confusion. "What's wrong with her?"

Piper put some hair behind her ear and said. "She's making no sense. She's talking about _'they'_ again. _'They're'_ chanting... _'They're'_ asking for it..." She explained.

Leo closed his eyes and focused in on Phoebe. "I'm sensing something different from her. It's as if her life-force isn't all here, like she's split between this life, and the next." The Elder sighed.

Paige blinked hard. "I get it!" She exclaimed.

"You get what?" Piper asked.

Paige leaned herself against the table. "The blood those cult people drained from Phoebe – it was probably a sacrifice, right? Well, demonic resurrections don't fix stuff, that's what Cole said. So, that blood, and her life-force, or energy that they took from her, is still out there, being used for whatever those people needed it for. This means, that Phoebe's consciousness is probably split between where she is, and where her stolen life-force is. Get it? She's tuning into that, that's what she's talking about."

Piper nodded, understanding. "So when she says it's starting, she means the cult is starting their ritual."

"If that's true, then you guys have to find them now. If they use Phoebe's life-force for evil, than she could be turned, not to mention she'll never be whole again." Leo commented, looking oddly at Phoebe as she played with the lace on the curtain.

Panicking now, Piper began to go on a manic rampage, flying around the attic searching for anything that could give them a location to a human.

"Why don't you just orb there?" Leo asked, confused.

Paige scrunched her nose. "I've never had to sense for a human before. I don't know if I can."

"Paige, you're a whitelighter too, you can do this, just concentrate." Leo tried to support her.

Paige closed her eyes. She thought about Daniel, remembering the photo from the newspaper. She thought about his followers, and tried to sense them. She sighed, opening her eyes. It was useless. She couldn't find them.

"I'm sorry." She wanted to cry.

Piper took her hand. "Don't say sorry, just concentrate, and when you sense him, you take us there."

Paige gulped down, and focused again. This time a slight tingle began to roll up her feet, through her legs, all the way through her body until it reached her mind. There it was. Hundreds of people, their energy seemed to scream out at her. But was Daniel there? She concentrated again. Yes, yes he was. Paige squeezed Piper's hand and orbed them through time and space to the location she felt their enemy.

Leo clapped his hands together lightly, sighing awkwardly when he realized he'd inadvertently left himself with babysitting duty – again. This time, he also had to watch Phoebe, who was... well... not herself.

The Elder watched as the dazed witch wandered around, fiddling with little knick-knacks, and pulling on the curtains as if they were the most amazing things in the world.

"Oh man, what did I get myself into...?" Leo muttered to himself.

Suddenly Piper found herself in the middle of a large room. She was surrounded by hundreds of people; they were all dressed in the same, ugly robes. At the front of the room Daniel was standing, surrounded by demons, who were chanting.

"So be it!" They chanted.

Just as Piper was taking all of this in, Paige pulled her down as she screamed. "Watch out!"

A fireball flew past their heads and hit the man directly behind them. He burst into flames, turning to ash. With no one behind them to break their fall, the girls hit the floor, hard.

Rubbing her butt, Paige helped Piper to stand. "I think we're late." She sighed.

"Welcome!" Daniel shouted from across the room. "You're just in time!"

Piper put a fake smile on. "Oh thank God. I thought we were late."

"Well you are too late, to stop me that is. But you're just on time to watch the show!" He exclaimed with joy.

Piper rolled her eyes and motioned to freeze the room. Nothing happened. The eldest witch was disturbed that even her enhanced powers couldn't touch him. Daniel Just laughed at her fleeting attempts to freeze or blow him up.

"I'm afraid that my Lord is beyond your tedious tricks." Daniel scoffed and laughed as the floor beneath them began to shake.

Paige braced herself, holding onto Piper for balance. "What's happening?"

Before Piper could add her fair share of moaning about the current situation, a burst of wind blew through the room, knocking everyone, including the sisters off their feet. They stood up to find a large demon standing before them.

Its feet alone were the size of midgets, its hands looked like five long talons banded together with strings of flesh. Its eyes were a glowing a bright green, while its mouth was covered in drool that smelled like toxic waste. It looked like a large version of a poisonous and evil wolf, only with more humanistic features.

"Holy Mother of..." Piper was shell shocked.

Paige pulled out her potion. "Compared to this guy, our potion smells like roses."

"These are the Charmed Protectors?" The Demonic Lord of the cult gurgled as it spoke.

Piper let her left eyebrow rise higher than the right. "Was that joke?" She looked at Paige. "Did that thing just make fun of us?"

"I don't think this is the time..." Paige reminded.

Piper shook her head. "Seriously, was that a joke?"

"Piper, would you focus?" Paige knocked her arm with her elbow.

As the two girls began to squabble about battle tactics, the demonic lord stretched out its talons and telekinetically lifted all of the cult leaders off the ground, incinerating them instantly. Both sisters screamed bloody murder as they watched so many innocent humans being slaughtered.

"Oh my God, Piper, lets go!" Paige grabbed her sister before she could object and orbed them back to the house.

Paige had been too panicked as she orbed in, that her landing was more of a crash; Piper and herself were sitting it what had once been a coffee table. Brushing themselves off, they ran up to the attic, out of breath and hysterical.

"Piper, calm down and tell me what happened." Leo said.

Piper took a breath. "I don't think our potions are going to work..." She said plainly.

Leo looked to Paige for more. "What?"

The littlest sister stepped up. "The thing we're fighting, I have never seen anything like it. It just killed about two hundred people, all at once!"

Leo stumbled back at the news. "I think I should go find out what I can." He orbed out.

Piper turned to Phoebe. "Are you ok?"

"It wants more, to give more." She rambled.

Paige crossed her arms, trying to figure Phoebe out. "Wants more to give more?"

This time it was Piper that understood. "Daniel... this was all for Daniel. He must have given those people to his _'Lord'_ so that he could get something back... but what?"

"The only thing he could want... power. He's human, but look at how many demons he has working for him. Why would demons work for a human unless they could benefit from it too?" Paige wanted to pat herself on the back, but there was no time. "Question is, what the heck is that thing and how can we stop it?"

Piper moved to the Book of Shadows. She pulled her hair back into a pony-tail and rubbed her eyes quickly. She flipped through the pages, spanning them until she came to a page near the back.

"What are you doing?" Paige asked.

Piper glanced up, then back down. "This... look at this."

"What, what is it?"

There toward the back of the book was a page that none of them had ever seen before. It was as if it had come out of no where. Beside the written half, there was a sketch of a woman that looked remarkably like Piper. They stared down at the page in awe.

"That's you!" Paige exclaimed.

Piper shook her head in amazement. "How can this be?"

"How did you know this was here? It wasn't here before." Paige remembered.

The eldest sister shrugged. "I don't know. I just... I just knew."

Paige read the new entry in the book out loud.

"_The Mother of Magic; She is a product of a universal conversion of magic. Her children are destined to become the most powerful and influential magical beings of all time. During the years before her children ascend into greatness she shall multiply in power times ten. She will wield the power to control time, and have ability to transport people and objects through time and space, as well as have a substantial control over her children's powers during the years when they are too young to use them on their own._"

Piper's eyes widened. "Wow."

"I know... that is one the weirdest pages in the book." Paige scratched her head.

Leo orbed in. "The elders seem to think that this thing is an extinct demon, it was around before most of the demons we know about, they called it a Hallowed Wolf."

Piper sighed, rolling her eyes. "Great."

"Well good. Maybe the new super-Piper can kick some super-demon butt!" Paige pointed to the book.

Leo looked at the book. "When did this get added?"

The Elder's ex-wife closed the book, tired of seeing it. "That's the thing, it didn't get added; it was just – there."

Paige smiled wide. "Isn't this fun?"


	9. Chapter 9: Through Time and Space

Wyatt sat silently upon his Father's knee, as his Mother and his Aunt Paige talked. His Father would add a few words here and there, but mostly only to make them happy when they looked sad. Wyatt didn't know what was happening, but he could sense something was very bad.

"Piper, I wouldn't worry about the book. It's an extension of your powers as Charmed Ones, therefore if you're in it, than there is a reason." Leo handed a stuffed animal to Wyatt and let him play on the floor.

Paige picked up the piece of paper she'd been writing on. "Ok, I think I have a way to get most of Phoebe's spirit and life-force back."

"Most?" Piper asked.

The little sister sheepishly hid from the look of disappointment. "Well, whatever portion of her blood has already been used can't be brought back, cause well, its not there anymore. I think this should make her more coherent. You know, less rambling, more talking like a person."

Piper took Phoebe's hand and led her to the middle of the attic. Piper stood beside Paige, as they read the spell aloud.

"_Blood that was spilled. _

_In this witch shall be filled._

_Let her soul be wound._

_Her spirit bound._

_Let this spell end well._

_For our sister Halliwell._"

"Nice spell, Paige." Piper smiled at her sense of rhyme.

Paige blushed at the compliment. "Oh thanks."

They watched as a series of golden and blue lights swept in from the attic ceiling and made their way toward Phoebe. They lifted her from the ground, and span her around as they entered into her chest.

Once the lights had all entered her body, Phoebe slowly touched the ground with her feet. She stood there for a moment, dazed and a little confused. Looking at her sisters, Phoebe smiled. They had done it. She knew they would, they brought her back from the clouded reality she'd been trapped in. Although there was still the lingering feeling of something being gone from inside her, she felt more alive than she had before.

"Phoebe?" Piper stepped closer, scared that it didn't work.

The middle sister cracked a smile. "Hi." She beamed.

"Phoebe!" Paige rushed and hugged her tight enough to squash a horse.

Leo felt the need to remind the girls of their enemy at hand. "Uh, let's not forget the Hallowed Wolf..."

Phoebe closed her eyes. "I can see it."

Piper look at her, worried. "What, not again?"

"I think that's because of the blood they used for the ritual. A small amount of her spirit is in the Hallowed Wolf, so she still has that link thing." Paige ventured.

Leo nodded. "I agree with Paige. I think Phoebe is sensing and seeing the Hallowed Wolf because she is spiritually linked to it now."

Piper sighed. "Ok, can you see where it is?"

"Here." She looked around, nervously. "Get down!" She cried, pulling her sisters, who in turn pulled Leo with the kids down too.

Just as they hit the floor a crash rang through the room. The sound smashed the glass objects that had managed to make their way into the attic. The stain-glass windows shattered, spreading shards of glass all over the place. Leo dove over the kids, protecting them from the flying dangers.

Suddenly Wyatt's barrier went up, but it didn't just cover Wyatt, it was covering the room. Phoebe and Paige looked to Wyatt, surprised at his ability. When they realized that Wyatt didn't even have his barrier up, they stood on their feet in shock.

There in the center of the room, with her hands held out in front of her, Piper was generating a barrier identical to Wyatt's. The group all looked on in complete confusion. Paige glanced at the book, and then realized that this might be one of Wyatt's powers, but for now Piper had been given his power as well, she was starting to become the Mother of Magic. Paige gulped.

The crashing and shaking continued for a few more seconds, and then before they could get balanced, a thunderous clap rang out. Standing just outside the large barrier was the Hallowed Wolf. It was snarling, and gurgling. It drooled more than any dog the girls had ever seen. Its stink seemed to float about the room, independently from its body.

Paige squeezed her nose shut and coughed from the odor. "Oh, that is so gross."

"Get out!" Piper yelled.

Phoebe laughed half-heartily. "Sweetie, I think it wants to stay..." She joked.

Piper glared at her sisters, Leo and her kids. "Not him, you. All of you!" Her voice was severely strained; she was using a lot of energy to keep the barrier up.

"What, Piper... no." Leo begged.

Piper grunted, as if a heavy weight was upon her shoulders. "Listen to me. I'm going to reverse the barrier, and trap that thing in it. When I do, I want you to take the kids and orb out, all of you. Go up _'there'_ – it's the only safe place." She urged them.

Paige didn't argue, she grabbed Chris and took Wyatt's hand. "What about you?" She questioned.

Phoebe interrupted. "I'm staying."

"Don't argue – just do it." Piper demanded.

There was no more talk. Piper did as she said she would, and reversed the barrier to trap the creature. Piper stood on the outside of it, with her palm holding the outside of the sphere like a giant basketball. She looked longingly at her family, and then watched them orb to safety.

Now that she was alone, she undid the barrier, and backed up cautiously. She gulped hard and tried to focus. The Book of Shadows said she could move people through time and space. Maybe she could move this thing somewhere, or sometime, that would give them all a chance to figure out what to do.

She continued to back away as the Hallowed Wolf stepped closer and closer. He wasn't attacking her. She didn't understand that, it could kill her if it wanted to, yet it stayed a short distance, almost observing her with its own curiosity. Then it started to gurgle, preparing to speak.

"The world has changed." He began ominously.

Piper sneered with a sarcastic look. "Yea, well things change after you're extinct for a few eons."

"Magic has changed. It is hidden, forgotten. In my time, demons didn't hide beneath the shadows of the Earth, we lived on the surface. I lorded over the many; I created much and destroyed many."

The witch gave a disgusted look. "How lovely for you."

"You don't understand. I am a God, a divine creature. I wish only to create what was lost to me so long ago." It explained.

Piper shook her head. "Sure ya do, and I'm the queen of England."

"I don't understand your voice. It is joking, yet there you are – a queen. You rule over time, over magic. You birthed the beings by which the universe will be re-written. Yet you scorn at those, who, like you wish to give birth to something greater than themselves."

She finally backed into the corner of the attic. "You think that guy Daniel is greater than you?" She almost wanted to cry laughing, or just plain old cry.

The thing laughed. "My dear no."

At this point, Piper wasn't sure if she was more confused by how this disgusting looking creature spoke, or that fact that she seemed to be holding a conversation with it.

"Then what do you want with him?" She dared to ask.

It stopped approaching her, and looked at her puzzled. "I need him – to make something greater then ones self, you must have a place to put it."

"Oh... oh God." Piper was starting to understand.

If she was going to get out of here, she needed to send this thing through time, or whatever she was supposed to be able to do, but she needed to do it now. She concentrated on the Hallowed Wolf, and motioned with her hand, like did with her other powers. The creature seemed to blink out, but Piper was certain it didn't have that capability. So, either it vanished out of no where, or she actually sent it through time, only question was how would she know what time she sent it to?

Looking toward the ceiling, Piper called out. "Leo! Leo, come back, its safe!"

They all orbed back in. Looking around for signs of mass destruction, they were surprised to find none. Phoebe touched Piper and looked her up and down.

"Where is it?" She asked, closing her eyes, but she wasn't able to sense anything from it right now.

Piper smirked. "Actually, I think we need to figure out '_when_' it is."

"Oh man, you moved it through time?" Paige was stunned.

Leo set the kids down and came forward. "Piper, only extremely powerful beings get powers like that."

Phoebe stepped back. "Wait, what am I missing?"


	10. Chapter 10: Witch God is it?

His talons clawed into the wall angrily. He had been sent back in time by a witch! A witch! His hatred boiled within, as his talons ripped at the brick. Although he had only been sent back a single day, he had been sent back none the less. This was no ordinary Charmed Protector, next time the Hallowed Wolf would not be so generous with speech. No matter, he had the capability to transport between planes, therefore he could transport between times as well. The process would simply require a little extra, blood.

To conserve energy, the Hallowed Wolf would not use magic to kill; instead he would be forced to do things the bland and boring way. He used his keen wolf-like senses to catch the scent of his prey. It was a witch. Not the witch he wished to kill, but a witch with power, and therefore of use to him. For each great feat he did, he would require magical blood to sustain him, until he could be brought back in full form. For that to happen, he would need to get back to the present – and reach Daniel before the Charmed Protectors did. Daniel would be his host, his carrier into a re-birth. The sooner he was transformed back into his full divinity the better. Life as a Demigod was not as fun as living as a fully divine creature. No matter, his plan would succeed, he was sure of it. Those Charmed witches, those protectors didn't have it in them to destroy one as mighty as he.

"So, let me get this straight." Phoebe sighed, sitting down on the couch. "Piper is becoming the Mother of magic – of all magic, and..." She looked to Piper. "The Hallowed World called you a queen or God or something?"

Piper nodded but stayed silent.

"It makes sense." Leo admitted.

Paige shook her head, as did Phoebe. "What about this makes sense?" The little sister asked.

Leo cleared his throat. "Piper is, by nature – the primal protector of our children. Wyatt and Chris are both very powerful, too powerful for their own good right now. So the universe – or some higher power – created a balance, allowing Piper to sort of channel their power, until they're ready to use magic on their own."

Piper sat down, flustered. "I don't like it. If everyone is worried that the boys can't handle their power, what makes them think that I can handle both of their powers?" She looked at Leo, distressed.

Leo stepped up to her, and took her hand. "Piper, I believe in you. You can do anything, I know it. The powers behind this know you too, and they know that you can handle what they give you. Besides, you're not getting all of their power, your getting partial control of it – you're channeling their energy through your body, like a funnel."

Snorting a sarcastic laugh, Piper said. "Great, I'm the magical equivalent of a kitchen utensil."

Leo couldn't help but make a small laugh at her joke. "It going to be ok. I promise." He assured her.

Phoebe shook her head in disagreement. "Not if we can't find the Hallowed Wolf, and that guy Daniel."

"Can you sense the Wolf guy at all?" Paige asked, hopefully.

The middle sister sighed. "I think that psychic link has been temporally shut off, due to time differences."

Piper scrunched her nose. "Sorry about that."

Phoebe smiled. "Don't be, it wasn't exactly fun being hooked up to that thing."

"Yea, but it sure could have helped us right now." Paige admitted. "Cause we got nothing to go on. I orbed back to Daniel's little cult factory and he's gone, no trace of him. I give credit to his many demonic allies, who by the way, are also cloaked from our scrying." She shrugged in confusion.

Piper frowned. "How can that be?"

"I think the Hallowed Wolf gave them all some kind of protection. Probably the same reason you couldn't blow him up – they're all protected by something, it's gotta be the wolf." Phoebe said, sure of her theory. "Trust me guys, I've been in this things head. It's smart, it may look like a beast but its not... well, I mean it is, but it's more than that. It's cunning, and knows how to win a war."

"War?" Leo asked, but wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the answer.

Phoebe nodded. "Yea, you guys didn't get the memo? This is a war for him. He wants his land back – the land he used to rule over when he was worshipped as a God."

Meanwhile, in yester lands the Hallowed Wolf was completing his tasks, one by one. Step one, kill witch – check. Step two, take witch's blood – check. Step three, drink blood and focus all energies on getting back to tomorrow... or the present, or whatever it was anymore - almost check.

He took the last drop of red liquid from the girl's emptied body and swallowed it whole. He felt the magical power serge within him. The girl's blood had done the trick. He felt revved up and ready to march terror upon hundreds of innocent beings – of course first he had to get back to a time in which everything he'd planned was already set up. He had to get back to Daniel and his chance at divinity once again.

Humans made excellent hosts for all sorts of things, including Gods. Maybe it was their meaty outsides, or maybe it was their lack of power, so there was less change of an overload – but humans made the perfect carriers. Personally the Hallowed Wolf thought that it was the lack of moral compass, the lack of compassion and the fact that humans swayed so often on the fine line between good and evil that they had made themselves into living beacons of light or shadow, just begging to be possessed, eaten or plainly killed by whatever demon saw fit. Whatever the reason, Daniel was his sheep – ready and willing to go as far as needed to see his Lord rise again. The Hallowed Wolf smiled at the thought. That human man was truly amazing. He not only served to resurrect a demonic God, but he'd managed to bring forth more human sacrifices than any of his demonic worshipers ever had. For that he was proud of Daniel, and little disgusted with the human race all together. No demon would sell out his entire race for power, but humans would. What foul creatures they were – to prey upon themselves in a manner that was so deprived of respect.

"I hate people. Especially people called Daniel Barker." Piper snuffed out a candle and sighed. "It's hopeless. We can't find Daniel until he makes his presence known again – it's time to wait."

Paige was horrified at that idea. "Wait? Wait for what; for him to lure some innocent into a cult again?"

Phoebe agreed. "We can't just sit here?"

"I know; I don't like it either." Piper began. "But the fact remains that Paige can't sense him to orb to him, Phoebe can't sense the Hallowed Wolf to find him, and we can't get a reading on any demonic activity from scrying. What would you suggest we do? Randomly pick places until we accidentally find him?" Piper laughed half-heartily.

Paige and Phoebe smiled at one another, as if they'd wished they'd thought of that. Phoebe said. "Why not?"

"What, you have to be kidding!? I don't have time for this..." Piper explained. "I have to get a band eventually for P3, and I have to get some time to spend with my kids, I am not chasing some idiot all around the city."

Paige huffed. "Fine."

Almost mimicking her little sister, Phoebe did the same. "Fine."

"If you guys get anything, let me know. I'll be in the kitchen, trying to book '_Good Charlotte_' for Friday night." Piper said, as her heels clicked down the attic stairs.

As the remaining two sisters began to talk about Piper's situation, the kids and ultimately her new role as mother of magic, Cole shimmered in; taking them both by surprise. Phoebe stared at him, not glaring – but thankful. He'd saved her life, again, and saved her sisters too. She was sad that the Cole from her world had not been this kind. The thought drifted through her head that perhaps she'd been wrong about Cole; maybe she'd misunderstood him all that time. Perhaps he had only had her best interests at heart – even if he'd done the wrong things to try and make things better.

"There's a lot of talk going on in the underworld. People are saying this is the end of our reign; that everything is going to be under a new rule. They say that the Wolf God is coming." He stated, portentously.

Phoebe echoed his tone. "Yea things aren't looking too good up here either."

"This isn't a joke, Phoebe. If the demons go back under the rule of a God they will increase in numbers, in strength, they will become a much bigger threat than you could ever imagine." Cole warned.

Paige joined in. "How would that happen?"

"Gods give their creations benefits, their give them courage and hope, and much more. It's why people flourish on the surface and demons dwell in caves. Gods reward those who worship them. If demons started worshiping a God and receiving rewards for their efforts... _'God'_ only knows what they could be capable of." The half-demon explained.

Phoebe looked puzzled. "What God, or Gods, helps us humans?"

"You're joking right?" He looked at Leo, then to the girls. "Elders look over humans."

Leo shrunk back, embarrassed. The girls stared at him, amazed that they'd never considered Elders as Gods, or really all that divine. Now that they thought about it, it seemed to make sense. They guarded humans; they protected them, and people – whether they knew it or not – worshiped them, in one form or another.

"You mean, Leo – you're a..." Phoebe was at a loss for words.

Paige was stunned too. "If you're a God, and Piper was destined to become one too, than that means that Wyatt and Chris are not only twice blessed, but they're..."

Leo nodded serenely. "That's right, but Elder's are not Gods like you think. They're more like embodiments of a council that acts for the Gods of creation. We basically do everything they tell us, without really being told... if that makes sense."

Even though Paige nodded yes, she said. "No, that makes no sense."

"Does Piper know?" Phoebe wondered.

Leo nodded. "Yes."

Too her shock, Phoebe added. "When, how... what?"

Leo laughed lightly. "Once we found out she was pregnant with Chris, after I'd already become an Elder – I had to tell her. She's known for a while. She was told never to tell you, or anyone. It's very important that Elders are not seen as Gods; we can't answer prayers, or create miracles, we set the pieces up, and try to make sure they don't fall. We are more limited than you think." Leo explained carefully.

"Limited-shrimited." Paige scoffed at him. "You're a freakin God!" She declared. "Do you have any idea how messed up this makes... everything!?"

Phoebe sat down, unable to stand anymore. "I'll never be able to yell at you the same way again." She muttered.

Leo laughed again. "You can still yell at me Phoebe. And Paige, what's messed up about any of this? You're an angel of sorts, did you ever think about that?"

Paige finally felt the need to sit. "This is way too heavy. Way, way too heavy."

Cole was shocked that even though they had endured so much, this seemed to be harder for them to take than many of the other things they'd had to deal with. He wanted to laugh, but stayed silent. He felt bad that he'd accidentally brought so many new things to the table. He'd just confused an already confused situation. Man oh man, in this world everything he did with the girls seemed to end in tragic or hurtful ways. He was starting to see why they hated him so much here. He couldn't wait to get back to his world. Where things were complicated, but not nearly _this_ complicated.


	11. Chapter 11: The Next Level

"Thank you so much Mark. I promise there'll be a big fat check in this for you!" Piper smiled as she talked on the phone.

Phoebe, Paige, Cole and Leo all walked down stairs, crowding into the kitchen. Leo walked beside Piper, and stayed by her side. The remaining sisters stood on the opposite side of the kitchen's island with Cole and stared at the couple.

It wasn't enough that they'd managed to break the cardinal rule of white-lighters and witches falling in love. Oh no. Somewhere along the way, Piper had left them behind. She'd gone some place far away, so far that she was going to embrace a destiny that didn't include the power of three. It was almost too much to take in, let along believe. It wasn't like Phoebe had a choice though. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was jealous. Piper had been blessed in ways she couldn't even imagine. She had Leo, a man who absolutely adored her, who would walk till the ends of the Earth to protect her. She had two wonderful kids, whose destiny was going to shape their world, and the lives of everyone. Now she had this; this destiny as someone who, all by herself, could be capable of more good, and more change than the three of them could have ever hoped to accomplish.

Standing there in the kitchen, looking at them side by side Phoebe couldn't help but see a twinkle, or light that was in there, brewing. It was power, their power – their goodness. The middle sister wanted to believe that she saw that spark of light in their eyes because she now knew the truth. Looking back on it however, she realized that perhaps it had been there all along, and she had been unable to see it because she didn't want to. She didn't want to see that her sister, whom she loved and cherished, was rising above their limited means. Piper had the chance to be something great, tremendous, and spectacular. Together with Leo, she could – no – she would accomplish so many great things. Maybe they would even win the war against evil after all. Phoebe just wished that she'd been given some measure of that. It wasn't her fate though.

"Piper." Phoebe spoke with awe in her voice.

The older sister looked at her funny. "What's wrong? You look weird."

"She's fine; she's just a little – overwhelmed." Paige covered, badly.

Piper looked at Phoebe oddly. "Overwhelmed by what?"

The sisters each gave one another a look. Finally Phoebe pushed Paige up front, making the little sister spill the beans, and let the cannon loose.

Clearing her throat, Paige said. "We know about Leo."

"You do?" She looked stressed.

Phoebe nodded. "Why didn't you tell us? Honey, where you afraid that we wouldn't understand?"

"No, its' just that I promised Leo I wouldn't tell anyone." She explained sheepishly.

Paige seemed offended. "Why?"

"Well." Piper seemed to be a little confused, as if the answer should be obvious. "I didn't think you guys knowing about the murder would be – well, I was just trying to protect Leo. That's all."

The girls were stunned. This had not exactly been the news they were looking for.

Phoebe was shocked. "Wow, what?"

"Leo, how did this happen?" Paige asked.

Piper looked frantically to Leo and then to her sisters. "What's going on? Did I just do what I think I did?"

Leo took Piper's hands in his. "Their talking about Elder's being Gods, and what that means for everyone now that you... well now that you're changing."

She looked at her ex-husband, and then to their interlocked hands. "Oops."

Phoebe snorted a strained laugh. "You – you – you killed an Elder?"

Leo nodded. "I was tricked." He explained eagerly.

"Cause that makes it better..." Paige scorned.

Piper slammed her fists on the counter and leaned her weight against her arms. She was furious, more so than she thought she should be. "How can you say that? How can any of you judge? You've all done things your ashamed of; we've all been tricked by evil before. Leo is no different."

Paige shook her head. "I think this is different."

"No its not!" She screamed, and a few glasses sitting in the sink exploded. "You think it's ok to treat people with such, such callus? Would you treat me that way? Because anything you do to Leo – it affects me, more than you both know."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Phoebe asked, in an almost condescending tone.

Piper grimaced at her sisters. "Exactly what you think." She answered, storming upstairs.

The Hallowed wolf stepped through the portal and took a long, deep breath. It was back, and ready for action. It staggered through the deep caves of the underworld until he came upon a larger opened area. Daniel was waiting for him. He watched the human kneel down before him, praising his return.

"I knew you would come back." The human repeated over and over.

The Demonic God spoke. "It's time."

Daniel stood with great excitement. He gathered his composure together and lit the candles that surrounded them in a circle. All of the demonic aids stood around them, and began to chant.

"_Oh Holy One, take this host and bring forth into it the power of your Divine touch. Let you Godly rights be brought back, let your truest of forms be known onto this lowly man!_"

They finished, as a long stream of dark mist swept over them, eating them alive, before sweeping over Daniel and the Hallowed Wolf. The Demonic God was broken into what looked like dark black sand, and carried into the mist, which then shoved itself into Daniel. It fed itself into his eyes and nose, forcing its way into his body, his soul. It consumed him completely.

After the dark mist was all safely within its human host, Daniel – who was now alone in the room – rose up from the ground and began to shake ferociously. His eyes rolled back into his head, as his tongue hung from his mouth. His teeth shattered and gave way to longer, sharper fangs. His eyes returned to their positions, with a new yellow color, and shaped much like the eyes of a wolf. His skin morphed into a harder, leathery substance that acted almost like a shell. His muscles swelled, threatening to rip his flesh apart.

When the shaking stopped Daniel looked vaguely like his former self. He looked human enough, with only his skin and eye as mere hints of the wolf. It wasn't his looks that showed off the power within. It was something else, like a ripple of sound, or an invisible cloud of power that surrounded him. It seeped into everything that he touched, and saturated it with its evil – pure, undiluted evil. Daniel, or what was left of him took a step in his newly remade body, and smiled – his fangs gleamed in the candle light.

"Time to make my kingdom." He laughed to himself.

Paige rushed down the stairs, almost knocking Phoebe over in her hurry. She was waving a map in one hand and a crystal in the other. She was jumping around like a bunny again, but this time it was a scared, hunted bunny – not a happy, playful bunny.

"He's back! He's back!" She announced.

Piper joined the growing group in the sitting room, as Paige explained herself.

"I was scrying for evil when this happened." She showed the map to everyone.

In the center of the map, a burned hole could be seen where they had last marked Daniel's location – his cult building. Paige pointed at it, and then waited for some kind of response.

"Hello? Anyone have anything to share?" She asked.

Cole shrugged, willing to give it a try. "Um, you dropped a match?"

"Uh... no. I was scrying, and BOOM, the map went up in flames!!" She exclaimed.

Piper took the map. "I guess we know where to go then, don't we?" She took Paige's hand, as did Phoebe.

Leo grabbed her arm. "Wait, what if it's a trap?"

Piper nodded. "I know, it's a possibility – but, we don't have a choice." She admitted. "We either go now, or loose him again and risk not finding him until its too late." Piper looked to Paige. "Let's go."

Before they could orb, Phoebe fell to her knees in pain. She clutched her head and screamed. "No, no! No!" She bellowed.

Her sisters rushed to her side, Piper said. "What's wrong!?"

"It's the Hallowed Wolf. I can see... it's too strong, it hurts!" Phoebe answered, crying in pain.

Piper looked at Leo. "Try to help her." Turing to Paige, she continued. "We have to go now."

Paige nodded, grabbing her sister and orbing them out, just the two of them.

Piper blinked, and she was standing in the middle of the room where she's last seen Daniel. It was the place where all those people had been murdered. She could still hear the echoes of their pain ringing on the walls. Her boots clicked loudly as she walked around, looking for a clue.

"Something is wrong." Paige concluded, upon seeing no Daniel.

"I disagree, something is very right." A familiar voice answered.

The sisters looked up in terror as Daniel jumped from a ceiling beam to the floor beneath, unharmed, unfazed, not to mention oddly wolf-like. Piper put a protective arm out in front of Paige and began to cautiously back them away.

"Daniel?" Paige asked from behind Piper.

The former human shook his head. "Not anymore."

"It's the Hallowed Wolf." Piper said, knowingly.

The creature nodded. "You're very intelligent."

"I don't know too many guys with fangs quite like yours." Piper tried to joke, but it landed her with the gut feeling that this time, the Wolf God wasn't going to be as chatty.

The Hallowed Wolf stared at Piper, intrigued by her – then flashed a glare at Paige, who jumped at the eye contact. "Let's take this fight to the next level." He suggested, waving his hand, and letting Paige fly across the room – slamming her into a wall.

"Paige!" Piper cried, seeing her sister knocked unconscious. "You're gonna pay for that."

The Hallowed Wolf smiled. "I would hope so."

Feeling their conversation was done, the Hallowed Wolf began to snarl, then used his hands to motion a lighting-bolt to strike Piper. It hit the witch and sent her flying backwards – hitting the same wall Paige did. Strangely, Piper was undaunted; she dusted herself off, and motioned to blow the thing up. However, the Wolf God was only pushed back a few yards.

"Come now Charmed Protector and Mother of Magic, you must be able to do better than that!' It laughed.

She sneered at him. "I'm just getting warmed up!"


	12. Chapter 12: The Wisdom of War

He held his glowing hands over her head, and started to dull the pain. He watched as her tense muscles began to relax and revert back to their normal place. Leo ended his healing and looked at Phoebe, making sure her distress had ended.

"How does that feel?" He asked.

She looked at him. "I still have this thumping headache, but its better. Thanks."

"Good." He smiled.

Pausing to take a breath, Phoebe added. "I think you should orb me to Piper and Paige. They might need help."

Leo nodded in agreement, and waved his hand over Phoebe. The witch vanished in a spiral of blue and white orbs.

Before Phoebe could take a breath, she was rematerializing in a brand new room. It was very large, with not much to look at. She looked around, the sounds of fighting was distant, but growing louder. To her left she saw Paige, lying face down on the ground, motionless.

"Paige!" Phoebe ran to her sister and flipped her on her back. "Wake up, are you ok?" She shook her sister.

After several moments, Paige shifted. "Ouch." She moaned, sitting up painfully.

Phoebe sighed in relief. "Oh thank God. Where's Piper, is she ok?"

Grunting, Paige rubbed her head. "I don't know. I was body slammed first."

Joking with her younger sibling, Phoebe said. "Lucky you."

Phoebe helped Paige to stand. As they looked around for signs of Piper, the sound of a battle grew louder, as something, or someone flew through the wall farthest from them. It was Daniel. He flew through the air before hitting the ground and sliding half-way across the room.

"Idiot!" Piper screamed, as she stepped through the hole in the wall and marched toward her enemy.

Phoebe and Paige looked at one another, and then Paige grinned awkwardly. "I think she's ok."

"Piper!" Phoebe called.

Piper looked up to find her sisters both standing at the other end of the room. She smiled with relief that Paige was ok, and that Phoebe seemed to be alright now too. She was momentarily distracted when Daniel rose to his feet and used immense power waves to send Piper sliding along the floor.

"You will die!" He cried with rage. "And then I will kill your children!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "You keep telling yourself that..." She laughed.

Phoebe grabbed Paige in shock. "Oh my God, do you see Piper?"

"Yea, she's kicking butt!" Paige smiled happily.

Phoebe nodded. "Yea I know. But without us."

When Phoebe said that simple sentence, it all became clear to Paige. Piper was now beyond their reach magically. She was holding more power at her finger tips than all three of them had together. It was impossible to think that sweet little Piper was now utterly destroying a demonic Wolf God, like he was nothing at all. It was thrilling and exciting, but mostly it was just scary. If Piper could demolish this thing, what else could she be capable of? What if something found a way to turn her against them? The possibilities were endless – for both sides; good and evil.

"This is crazy." Paige said at last.

They watched as Piper used Chris' ability to move objects with his mind, and slammed Daniel into the corner of the room. He cried out in pain as blood sprouted from his mouth, covering his fangs in red. She used one hand to freeze him, and then unfreeze his head. He was so beaten, and so broken that he no longer had the strength to fight off her most basic of powers. He struggled in vain. She raised her other hand, threateningly.

"Any more jokes?" Piper asked in a cocky voice.

The Wolf God was terrified. "You can't do this! I'm a Go-"

Before he could praise his own worth one more time, Piper blew him up. Pieces of mush and insides flew everywhere, landing all over the ground. Piper carefully walked through the slippery mess to her sisters.

"Is everyone ok?" She asked, dusting herself off.

Paige nodded. "Uh-huh." She said, dumbstruck.

Phoebe's mouth hung open in shock. "Everyone is good."

Smiling brightly, Piper sighed heavily. "Good, I'm tired, and hungry. Let's go home." She said plainly.

The middle sister looked to Piper. "What are you going to do?" She asked.

Piper smiled. "I'll do what I have to do, to have a life free of evil – for us, and for my kids."

"Don't you want a normal life – without demons?" Paige wondered.

Piper thought about it for a second. "Who's to say what normal is? My kids were born with powers to fight evil, they were born with a destiny, and I'm going to let them fulfill it."

Phoebe smiled. "Sounds like you have a plan."

The eldest sister nodded. "Sounds like I do."

A bright light ended their conversation. Phoebe found herself in the court-like setting that she'd been thrown into before, when they had taken her powers for a second time. She looked at the council with a glare on her face.

"What do you want?" She asked, nervous. "Come to take everything from me?"

A councilman answered. "Phoebe Halliwell. You were given a second sight by a demonic God, so strong it almost killed you. Yet you never turned. For this, we will grant you your powers back."

Phoebe was cautious. "Am I on parole again?"

"No, you are a free witch, with the ability to use your powers however you see fit. Be warned however – things in this life will tempt you to the side of evil, you must work extra hard to remain on our end of the universe."

Almost immediately, Phoebe got a vision. It wasn't about demons though. This was different. It was as if she was looking through her own eyes, into the future years from now.

Flash Forward - 2009

_The old manor looks like it has been run through the mill. Inside the old home, Piper, Phoebe and Paige sit at the kitchen table with tea and cookies. They're discussing a demon, while writing about it in the Book of Shadows. The book is about five times larger then it is in the present and it too looks like it has seen better days._

_Piper stands and greets Leo, who strangely enough, looks a bit older too. They walk off from the kitchen to greet their two oldest boys from school, as Piper picks up their youngest from his play-pen. _

_Getting up from the table, Paige, gives her husband a kiss, before heading up stairs for some alone time with him._

_Phoebe is left at the table, alone. Then, as she begins to clean up, a little girl toddles into the kitchen and hands her a drawing. It's of her Mommy, Phoebe, standing over a demon – looking very strong. Phoebe smiles and pats the girl on head, giving her a quick kiss before telling her to go play with the other kids. The slightly aged Phoebe smiles as she looks at the little wonder she has created. Piper may be the mother of the new 'Charmed line', and the mother of all magic. However Phoebe is content and pleased with her own creation, her daughter is a wonder all her own._

End of Flash Forward - back to 2004

With that Phoebe found herself back where she had been. Neither of her sisters noticed that she's been sucked away momentarily. So she just let it go.

Piper saw Phoebe's new face. "You look awfully happy, what's up?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just suddenly feel like I might get a happy ending too." She said with a grin.

Paige nodded. "Great, let's make that happy ending at home. Shall we?"

Paige motioned to orb them, when Piper stopped her. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the time and place she wished to be. In the blink of an eye, Piper landed back in the attic with both sisters. It was still the present. Piper smiled at herself. She'd refined her power enough to teleport through time itself. Things were looking good. Maybe she could handle this after all. As she adjusted herself and checked out a hole in her top from the fight, footsteps slowly crept up the stairs. She looked up to find Leo standing in the doorway. He truly did look godly. He was so handsome and kind. She felt his heart pumping as if it were in her chest. She smiled warmly at him, looking on as he leaned himself confidently against the molding of the doorway.

"I knew you could do it." He said proudly.

Phoebe and Paige took the cue to leave and headed down the stairs, leaving the two alone.

Piper swayed her arms back and forth, and then put them innocently behind her back. "How did you know?" She said mischievously.

Smiling ear to ear, Leo waltzed up to his wife... his wife, and took her waist into his arms. "Because I know that no matter what happens, we'll be together. Always."

As the words left his mouth, he bent down and planted a long, soft kiss on her lips. He let his hands run through her hair until they reached the small of her back. While her hands cupped his cheeks and held him closer still. When their lips parted, she took him in and hugged him tight. They breathed in each other's scent. They had missed one another.

Piper knew she had changed. She had gained so much in the past few days she was struggling to take it all in. She figured that was where her real wisdom came from. It was the _wisdom of war_. Not just the wars between witches and demons, or good and evil – it was the fight, the wars waged to remain true to your feelings, even when everything is fighting against you.

Leo took hold of her, as they began to levitate off the ground like he did during meditation. Piper looked down for a moment, at the ground beneath them. Soon it was the house beneath them, and then the street, and then the city. No matter how far she got from the world, she felt right at home in his arms. As if she knew somehow that everything would be ok. Maybe it was a side-effect of her new powers, or maybe it was something much more powerful. Maybe it was love.

The End


End file.
